N.S. government hopes new health clinics can cut into waitlist for family doctor

Officials with the Nova Scotia government hope three new health clinics in the Halifax area could eventually remove more than 20,000 people from the province's need-a-family-practice registry, but it will take time and more staff will need to be recruited first.

The Hobsons Lake Health Home in Beechville opened last month with one family doctor, a nurse practitioner and a family practice nurse. It currently has 250 patients.

Although five more doctors have been recruited to work at the site, a Health Department official said it would be closer to the end of the year before they are all in place and can begin seeing patients. The site also needs two more family practice nurses and one full-time and one part-time licensed practical nurse.

When the full staffing complement is in place, the Beechville clinic will have capacity for 8,600 patients.

Clinics still require some staff

Kolten MacDonell, the director of primary health care for the provincial health authority's central zone, told a news conference Monday that the health homes represent the way primary care will be delivered in the province. The sites combine multiple health-care professionals in one location to provide the most appropriate care for patients based on their needs.

Meanwhile, renovations are happening in Halifax for a clinic in the city's downtown and another in the north end. Both are expected to be open in October.

The Citadel Health Home will have capacity for 6,000 patients when all staff are hired and in place. Three doctors have been recruited for the site, while work continues to hire a fourth doctor, a nurse practitioner, three family practice nurses and a licensed practical nurse.

The six doctors who will work at the Needham Health Home have all been recruited and efforts continue to hire three family practice nurses and a licensed practical nurse for that site. It will have capacity for 8,600 patients when all staff are in place.

More than 91K were on waitlist in June

Clayton Park West Progressive Conservative MLA Adegoke Fadare made the announcement about the clinics at the Hobsons Lake site on Monday, the day before members of the legislature's health committee are scheduled to discuss the expansion of multidisciplinary health teams in the province.

More than 91,000 people in Nova Scotia were looking for a family practice as of the most recent update in June.

The provincial health authority removed information about the registry from its accountability data website earlier this year.

Updates are now provided via monthly news releases, but those emails include much less information than was previously available about the registry. When it was available online, the Nova Scotia Health website broke down the level of demand by community and included information about the reasons people were removed from the list.