N.L. close to unveiling new virtual-care plan for residents without family doctor, says Osborne

Newfoundland and Labrador Health Minister Tom Osborne says the province is set to announce a new virtual care plan for residents in the very near future, which would give anyone in the province access to a physician.

While it hasn't been officially announced yet, Osborne spoke about the plan during question period in the House of Assembly on Monday. The virtual system will provide physician access to anyone without a primary-care option, he said, and 24/7 emergency coverage in rural areas and for remote emergency departments.

Speaking with reporters Monday, Osborne said the project will begin rolling out in the emergency room in New-Wes-Valley in mid- to late November. People registered with Patient Connect N.L., a provincial list of individuals who have self-identified as being without a primary-care provider, will also have access in the early stages, he said.

"They will have 24/7 virtual physician coverage, which should help keep that site open provided we have a nurse practitioner for the site," he said Monday. "Three or four weeks after that, we'll add another … then we'll add a third site and fourth site."

Osborne said those future sites haven't been decided yet, as they will likely be established in the places of most urgent need.

An industry source told CBC News this week the request for proposal on the project was won by Teladoc Health, an American private telehealth company with an office in Toronto. CBC News has asked the company for an interview, although Osborne wouldn't confirm that it was the successful proponent.

He said the company would be confirmed in a media briefing on the plan, which could happen in the next week or two.

Osborne said Monday the virtual care will be paid for by the province and N.L. Health Services, meaning no out-of-pocket cost for patients.

Doctors providing care to residents will need to be licensed with the province, he added, saying hiring a private company to do the work will put less strain on the provincial health-care system.

"The proponent that we've gone with has guaranteed us access to physicians," he said. "Having virtual physician coverage will provide a permanent solution to some communities that simply wouldn't be able to attract a physician into their community."

Neither Osborne nor Premier Andrew Furey would say how much the contract with Teladoc costs, but Furey said Tuesday it will benefit residents in all corners of Newfoundland and Labrador.

"This is one example of how we're trying to modernize the health-care system using modern technology to meet the needs of Newfoundlanders and Labradorians dispersed over the entire province," he said.

PC Leader Tony Wakeham expressed concern about the plan Tuesday, saying the move to virtual physicians feels like a step fuelled by a lack of successful recruitment and retention of doctors in the province.

"Virtual health care can be part of the solution, but it's not the only solution when it comes to health care," he said. "I certainly hope that we're not simply talking about the use of a telephone when we're talking about virtual care."

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