Houston government reinstates doctor-recruitment incentive for Halifax cut in 2021

Doctors who want to set up practices in the most populous region in the province are once again eligible for a physician incentive program aimed at luring new physicians to Nova Scotia.

Family physicians and specialists who want to work full time in the central zone are being offered up to $75,000 — $25,000 when they sign the agreement and $10,000 per year for the next five years, as long as they maintain the practice.

Those who want to set up a practice elsewhere are being offered up to $125,000 in incentives over five years.

Nova Scotia Health Minister Michelle Thompson said Wednesday in Halifax that reinstating the eligibility for doctors in the Halifax region is not an admission the government made a mistake cutting the program.

"No, no, no," said Thompson. "This is another evolution of how we become a magnet for health-care workers."

"We know that prior to our incentive change, 60 per cent of physicians who received the incentive were settling in the central zone. We also had to look at making sure that our rural communities also had the opportunity to settle and welcome physicians," said Thompson.

Opposition leaders were happy to see the return of the incentive program. Both Liberal Zach Churchill and New Democrat Claudia Chender said it was back because of the negative impact it had in the central zone when it was cut.

"They brought it back because the number of people who need a family doctor shot up in Halifax over the last two years, in central zone, from 18,000 to 77,000 people," said Churchill. "We called on them right away to reverse that cut because we knew this was going to happen.

"Thankfully they have finally come to their senses and realized they created a major problem here in Halifax."

"The decision to not have that incentive here was roundly criticized," said Chender. "I think a lot of people in HRM are without as a result."

According to the Department of Health and Wellness, there are currently "68 physicians under incentive agreements to work in Nova Scotia."

The department also estimated the central zone currently needs 53 more family physicians and 40 specialists.

The 2024-25 budget for the program is $5.94 million.