Nova Scotia’s primary care waitlist drops below 100,000

The Need a Family Practice Registry in Nova Scotia saw a significant decrease last month, with 8,449 individuals being removed from the list. This brought the total number of people looking for a primary care provider down to 95,875, which accounts for about nine percent of the population. The provincial government has set a goal to further reduce this number to five percent, aiming for approximately 50,000 people on the registry.

Nova Scotia Health has been actively reaching out to individuals on the list since last summer to determine if they still require a primary care provider. While the latest numbers were released in a news release from the health authority, it did not specify how many individuals were successfully attached to primary care providers in the past month. Additionally, there was no breakdown provided on how many individuals were removed from the list through the validation process.

The registry, which is often used as an indicator of the effectiveness of the healthcare system, is currently at its lowest point since 2022. It peaked at around 160,000 individuals last June before updates were no longer posted online by the health authority. Public updates were resumed several months later, showing a steady decline in the number of individuals on the registry. However, the current updates lack the level of detail that was previously provided, such as a breakdown of the need for a family practice by community.

The decision to restrict public reporting on the registry has faced criticism from the opposition, who argue that it hinders the ability to evaluate progress in addressing the issue. Last month, Nova Scotia Health removed all registry information from its data reporting website, with Health Minister Michelle Thompson stating that this information will not be restored until the validation process is complete. Despite calls for a timeline for this work, no commitment has been made to reinstate the information on the online data dashboard.

Overall, the efforts to reduce the number of individuals on the Need a Family Practice Registry in Nova Scotia are ongoing, with Nova Scotia Health actively working to connect individuals with primary care providers. As the province continues to strive towards reaching its target of five percent of the population on the registry, the public will be eagerly awaiting updates on the progress being made in addressing this healthcare issue.