N.S. premier questions accuracy of waiting list for family doctors

Premier Tim Houston said Wednesday that Nova Scotia's family practice registry wait-list may not represent the most up-to-date number of patients still seeking a doctor.

Houston often referred to the same list when he was in the Official Opposition, describing the province's health-care system as being in crisis.

While the number of people on the list is a still concern, Houston said it may not be entirely accurate.

"We also know there are people accessing care who are attaching themselves to a primary health-care provider and are not necessarily coming off the list, they're still showing up," he said.

As of Sept. 1, 110,640 Nova Scotians were listed on the Finding a Primary Care Provider web page available through the Nova Scotia Health Authority.

Last September, shortly after Houston was sworn in as premier, 75,180 people were on the list. That  represents an increase of about 47 per cent in a year.

'How accurate the actual number is, I don't know'

"It is accurate in the sense that there is a problem to be solved. How accurate the actual number is, I don't know," Houston said. "When people do get attached the first thing they do is probably not call and say can you take my name off the list."

Houston commented on the wait-list while announcing a new health-care model that he said will connect 3,500 Nova Scotians to a primary health-care provider.

He noted there are also new virtual-care options for those who do not have a family physician and that improving access to the system remains a key focus for his government.

"We know the population is growing, that's a factor as well, people are moving to Nova Scotia and they're not actually bringing a doctor with them," he said.

Nova Scotia Health confirmed it relies on patients to let them know when they have found a primary care provider.

Opposition describes comments as 'weird' and 'disrespectful' 

Houston's comments did not go down well with Opposition members who were in the room for his announcement.

"I thought that was weird considering he really used that number when it was lower to make his points about there being a crisis in health care," said Liberal Leader Zach Churchill, a former health minister. 

NDP MLA Gary Burrill described Houston's stance as cavalier.

"There is a sense of suffering about this, which is palpable throughout the province, so I think it is disrespectful," Burrill said.

He added there could be even more people who do not have a doctor who haven't bothered to registered on the wait-list.

Thousands of people are added to the registry each month as Nova Scotia's population continues to grow: 5,551 in July and 7,601 in August.

Houston says his team is working hard to address the situation.

"We all know access to health care has been an issue in this province for a number of years and we're working very hard to fix that with the leadership team that we have."