While New Brunswick continues to address its growing waiting list for a primary care provider, the health minister will not commit to further initiatives to address health care.
Visiting the latest NB Health Link clinic in Fredericton On Friday, Bruce Fitch said the number of people in need of a primary care provider had dropped from 74,000 to 59,000.
Fitch commented, “It will ease some of the stress on emergency rooms because people’s primary care will be done in a clinic like this.”
The HealthLink program provides access to a network of family doctors and nurse practitioners.
In the fall the province opened the first Health Link clinics in Moncton and Dieppe. According to a provincial news release, 14,207 people have registered with the program and 5,959 have confirmed they already have a health care provider.
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“It’s a step above walking in because there’s ongoing service and there’s availability because I believe there are three doctors in this clinic.”
Fitch said Fredericton is now home to one of five clinics, along with Moncton, Dieppe, Woodstock and Dalhousie.
While waiting lists are declining, the province is facing a lack of resources.
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When asked about doctors being drawn from other areas of the health care field, Dr. Matthew Piamonte, a physician, said it is worth the results.
“So, while you’re pulling professionals from other areas in health care because resources are limited with respect to health care professionals, I think you’re still doing well when you’re addressing that primary care gap.” are,” Piamonte told reporters.
Piamonte said the clinic style allows doctors who are semi-retired or don’t want to practice to retain patients.
However, he believes there is still work to be done in the province’s health care sector.
“Yeah, I think New Brunswick could benefit from looking at what some of the other provinces are doing.”
Coming out of school, he said, other provinces like Nova Scotia offered incentives to recruit doctors.
Despite this comment and questions about initiatives in other provinces, Fitch is hesitant to commit to the new health plans.
In Nova Scotia, Gov. Tim Houston recently introduced a plan aimed at improving emergency care. On Thursday, Ontario Premier Doug Ford announced plans to allow health care workers from other provinces to begin practicing in Ontario immediately.
“We’re always looking at what other jurisdictions are offering, and I know some premiers, when they have discussions, they don’t want to get into a bidding war because, again, there are limited resources. Regardless. We’re in a good financial position now, it can’t be forever,” commented Fitch.
As far as NB Health Link clinics are concerned, Fitch said they plan to have locations set up across the province by “the middle of the year.”
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