From a release
HALIFAX: Nova Scotia is improving its regulatory environment and making more government services efficient and effective.
“There are unlimited opportunities to reduce red tape in our province,” said Timothy Halman, Minister of Service Efficiency.
“From unleashing the potential of our natural resources to reducing red tape for doctors, we are focused on achieving results to create more jobs and improve how we serve Nova Scotians.”
Nearly 425,000 hours of red tape have been cut for doctors in the province, exceeding the target of 400,000 hours, through more than 45 actions across 14 government departments and health organizations that have been implemented since 2022.
These include eliminating or streamlining paperwork, adopting new technology, having healthcare professionals do work they have been trained and licensed to do, and updating out-of-date policies and legislation.
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Examples of red tape reduction actions include:
– the new Medical Certificates for Employee Absence Act limits when employers can request a sick note, saving doctors more than 67,000 hours annually of unnecessary visits
– 46 pharmacy locations around the province now provide some primary care to Nova Scotians, including treating patients for common illnesses, saving doctors more than 86,000 hours annually
– physician assistants are augmenting care teams,adding to physician capacity by conducting exams and prescribing medication or treatments, saving doctors more than 56,000 hours annually
– tap cards and one-time logins for doctors in emergency rooms and urgent care centres are saving 30,900 hours annually
– the province’s electronic medical record systems are being improved, saving doctors a minimum of 23,000 hours annually.
Work done in 2024 to reduce red tape and support businesses and Nova Scotians is outlined in the Office of Service Efficiency’s annual report released today, January 27.
Red Tape Awareness Week is organized annually by the Canadian Federation of Independent Business and runs this year from January 27 to 31.
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Quotes:
“The initiative to reduce administrative burden on Nova Scotian doctors broke new ground when it was first announced.
In the short time since, Nova Scotia is now recognized as a leader in this work and has succeeded in shining new light on multiple areas that are pain points for the doctors in our province.
This work has uniquely supported doctors, particularly as the province faces unprecedented attrition in their numbers from retirement, burnout and illness.”
— Dr. Ajantha Jayabarathan, family physician and Director, Coral Shared-Care Health Center, Halifax
“Doctors don’t go into medicine for the exhaustive paperwork. They do so to care for their patients.
“Unnecessary paperwork can be relentless, frustrating and time consuming, and it affects doctors’ work environment and work-life balance.
“Nova Scotia was the first jurisdiction to recognize this burden and to implement a plan to address it. And that plan is working. We want this work to continue so that it eventually results in a culture change that sees the end of the duplication, overreach and complexity of administrative tasks to improve the efficiency and efficacy of the health-care system for all.”
— Nancy MacCready-Williams, CEO, Doctors Nova Scotia
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“Nova Scotia has been a leader in Canada in reducing administrative burden affecting physicians in the province.
“The CMA applauds Nova Scotia for its dedication in this critical area and continually points to its approach as one that can be adopted across the country to ensure all doctors can stay focused on what they do best: caring for patients.”
— Dr. Joss Reimer, President, Canadian Medical Association
Quick Facts:
– doctors in Nova Scotia report collectively spending more than 500,000 hours of time on work they consider unnecessary; 63 per cent could be done by another healthcare professional, while 37 per cent doesn’t need to be done at all
– Nova Scotia set the first target in the country to reduce red tape for physicians by 400,000 hours, or by 80 per cent
– the Office of Service Efficiency has released its annual report as part of the Canadian Federation of Independent Business’s Red Tape Awareness Week, from January 27 to 31 this year
– since 2021, regulatory changes have saved Nova Scotia businesses more than $21 million (net), including nearly $700,000 (net) in 2024
