Premier Stephen McNeil, leader of the Nova Scotia Liberal Party, has been re-elected for another four-year mandate.

Thanks to the concerted efforts of Nova Scotians, health care was the number one issue throughout the election campaign.

During the campaign, doctors raised concerns about physician recruitment and retention and Nova Scotians’ access to primary care. They also offered a number of solutions to help fix pressing health-care issues.

In addition, almost 1,000 people used our website to send emails to the leaders of the provincial political parties. By raising your voice in support of doctors, patients and the health-care system, readers like you helped ensure that health care remained a priority for every party.

Your emails made a difference. Because of them, Premier McNeil committed to improving health care in our province. His commitments included:

Access:

• Investing $78 million over four years to create or expand more than 70 collaborative care teams
• Providing flexibility for physicians to choose practice model
• Working with Doctors Nova Scotia to support all primary care providers
• Promoting and supporting MyHealthNS
• Investing $750,000 annually over three years, starting in 2018-19, to support and encourage physicians to consult with patients through video technology

E-health:

• Working with partners to fully implement One Patient One Record

Primary care renewal:

• Ensuring the Payment Model Working Group commences and completes its work of implementing the Physician Master Agreement
• Implementing the $3-million investment made in Physician Master Agreement to support non-face-to-face consultations between patients and doctors
• Working with Doctors Nova Scotia and physicians on innovative funding models

Physician involvement in health system change:

• Making physicians and their professional association an integral part of the decision-making process
•  Engaging Doctors Nova Scotia on its primary care recommendations

Physician recruitment and retention:

• Investing $11.7 million over four years to create 10 new spaces in the Family Medicine Residency Program and 10 new spaces in the new Practice Ready Assessment Program for internationally trained family doctors
• Creating 15 new specialist residency positions based on greatest need

Doctors Nova Scotia looks forward to working with Premier McNeil and his government to improve access to primary care, to create a physician recruitment and retention strategy, and to ensure physicians are at the table to help create the kind of change needed in our health-care system.

The association is also looking forward to working with new and returning Progressive Conservative and New Democrat MLAs to improve care for every Nova Scotian.

Doctors Nova Scotia will continue to advocate on behalf of the province’s doctors to make sure these election promises become a reality.

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