The provincial government has signed a two-year contract, worth $11 million annually, with Teledoc Canada to provide virtual care to those who don’t already have a family doctor.

The provincial government is issuing letters this month to those who are registered on Patient Connect to download the app and gain access to virtual physicians from 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. Monday through Friday.

As Health Minister Tom Osborne explains, they will be taking a tiered approach to getting people signed up.

They will be registering 15,000 people at a time. He says once the initial letters go out, the next grouping will be advised that they are next in line.

The service begins with the launch of a virtual ER at the health centre in New-Wes-Valley this week, and will expand to other communities in the coming months.

Osborne says among the concerns raised by the NLMA was the recruitment of physicians to the service. Osborne says the service is ideal for retired physicians who wish to offer themselves up for a number of hours a week, but Teledoc cannot actively recruit physicians from this province.

The provincial government is encouraging those not already registered for Patient Connect to do so. NL Health Services will continue to work to assign those who register with a family care team or family doctor where one is available.