SUSAN LEBLANC: Mr. Speaker, my question is for the Minister of Health and Wellness. Another doctor is winding up their clinic in Halifax. Jason Haslam received a letter last week informing him and his partner that they no longer have a family doctor as of May 31st. They have spent numerous stints on the family doctor list, but he says, “My real concern is for my fellow patients. There could well be patients recently diagnosed with cancer, for example, who may also be waiting on another long list for specialist treatment, or elderly patients like my own mother, who not only need regular checkups but also a family doctor to advocate for them with specialists, insurance, and so on. I live in real fear of what happens if she loses her doctor too.” Jason and the people he’s concerned about need a family health team. When will the government stop the exodus of family doctors from the Central Zone?
THE SPEAKER: The honourable Minister of Health and Wellness.
HON. MICHELLE THOMPSON: Certainly, there have been a number of things undertaken in order to support physicians in Central Zone and throughout the province. Most recently, there was a letter that was sent to physicians explaining that if they were winding up their practice or felt that they need practice support, they could reach out to this 1-800 number, and that the local medical services team through NSHA and the Department of Health and Wellness would reach out to support them to ensure that they had the practice supports that they required.
SUSAN LEBLANC: Jason also said, “Ironically, in the same building as our now-former doctor, a private, for-profit clinic has opened. I guess our current Premier thinks only those who can afford to pay are allowed the luxury of health. It’s infuriating that others who may not be so lucky can simply be sentenced to the list for the crime of not having enough money.” I can table that letter. Does the minister think it’s fair that private clinics, where people have to pay to access primary care, are popping up at the same time as people are losing their family doctors?
MICHELLE THOMPSON: Certainly, our government has shown a strong commitment, 6.5 billion commitments, to make sure that our publicly funded health care system has the resources that it needs. We are working very hard in primary care. Attachment does not mean access. We are looking at a variety of modalities in which patients can access care as they wait for attachment, and I would encourage people, if they do need access, to get on the Need a Family Practice Registry. That allows them a variety of different ways to support their health care, and we are looking at ways of increasing primary care providers in the province.