November’s provincial election saw the Nova Scotia Progressive Conservative (PC) party form a majority government, with the title of official opposition going to the New Democratic Party, and the Liberals losing all but two seats in the legislature.

As in 2021, health care was a major topic of discussion for candidates, with each party claiming it would fix the province’s health-care system.

Now that Premier Tim Houston is back at the helm, here’s a round-up of the health-care promises we’ll be watching for during his second term:

Ensuring all Nova Scotians have a family physician:

• Continue to build on initiatives to help ensure every Nova Scotian has access to a family doctor and quality primary care, including opening 36 new collaborative care clinics, opening a new medical school in Cape Breton, and opening the world’s first International Medical Assessment Clinic.

Supporting better access to health information:

• Consult physicians and make the necessary investments to ensure that the flow of information in the health-care system is seamless and used to improve outcomes. Commitments include completing the introduction of the One Patient One Record digital record system and creating an integrated electronic health records system where doctors can access comprehensive patient information and make digital requests for specialist referrals, consultations and tests.

Including physicians in health-care transformation:

• Continue to engage with physicians to drive meaningful change in the health-care system. The government will remain committed to listening and collaborating with physicians to continually improve the health system for all Nova Scotians.

Welcoming new-to-Nova Scotia physicians:

• Provide settlement services for new physicians and their families, including language training, employment support and community connections to help them integrate smoothly and feel at home.
• Continue to invest in settlement services tailored to health-care workers and their families, to make Nova Scotia a place where doctors and their families feel welcomed, supported, and able to thrive both professionally and personally.

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