From a release
HALIFAX: The Houston government hasn’t released updated numbers for the Need a Family Practice Registry for over three months. Nova Scotians deserve to know how many people are unattached to primary care.
New Democrats will introduce legislation Sept. 10 that would require the Minister of Health and Wellness to make the Need a Family Practice Waitlist data publicly available by the 15th of each month.
“We’ll know if Tim Houston is keeping his 2021 election promise to fix health care when Nova Scotians are attached to primary care. It is unacceptable for the list to be more than three months out of date,” said NSNDP Leader Claudia Chender.
“The tens of thousands of Nova Scotians who aren’t attached to primary care deserve answers on how much progress is being made.”
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As of June 1, when the list was last updated, there were 160,000 Nova Scotians waiting for a primary care provider.
The Need a Family Practice Registry has more than doubled since the Houston government was elected in August 2021.
The Premier has said the delay is due to work to verify that everyone on the list still needs a family doctor.
“As this verification work continues, there is no reason why Nova Scotians can’t know how many people have been added to the list in the last three months,” said NSNDP Health Spokesperson Susan Leblanc.
“Keeping these numbers hidden from the public does nothing to assure Nova Scotians that the health care crisis is being addressed.”
The NSNDP will table An Act to Ensure Healthcare Accountability and Transparency in the legislature this afternoon.
