The Newfoundland and Labrador Medical Association says an additional 60 full-time family physicians are needed to immediately address the current shortage in today’s workforce.
The NLMA says doctors are seeing more people turn up at emergency rooms in advanced stages of disease because they do not have a family doctor.
The NLMA released a Family Physician Human Resource Forecast by Dr. David Peachey of Nova Scotia health care consulting firm Health Intelligence Inc.
The @_nlma commissioned Dr. David Peachey of Nova Scotia health care consulting firm Health Intelligence Inc. to develop the forecast.
He has done similar wok in NS, Alberta, Yukon, Northwest Territories, and more. @VOCMNEWS #nlpoli pic.twitter.com/LJRGeAdj6j
— Ben Murphy (@BenMurphy590) November 27, 2019
The association says the government currently has no provincial physician human resource plan, despite the NLMA advocating for one for years.
The report also forecasts that an average of about 20 more family doctors per year will be needed in the remaining nine years, for a total of 243 additional family doctors.
NLMA President Dr. Charlene Fitzgerald says the need for a plan has now reached a critical level and the province is simply not doing enough to recruit and retain family doctors.
She says the challenge is two-fold, and they need to recruit and retain significantly more of MUN’s family medicine graduates into community-based family practice.
99,000 or 1 in 5 NL residenrs do not have a family doctor.
Fitzgerald says 20% of our doctors are over 60 yrs old, and we are simply not recruiting or retaining enough family doctors to keep pace with the growing needs of our population. @VOCMNEWS #nlpoli pic.twitter.com/bNUvXcTzul
— Ben Murphy (@BenMurphy590) November 27, 2019
Minister Responds
Meanwhile, Health Minister John Haggie agrees that there is an issue with access to family doctors in this province.
They intend to continue working with the medical association to ensure increased access and services. He says work is already happening with them, the regional health authorities, Memorial University, and the Family Practice Renewal Program.
Dr. Haggie is expected to respond to the NLMA report in greater detail early next week.