Health Minister Tom Osborne says a cap is needed on virtual physician appointments to maintain a balance with in-person care.

In Newfoundland and Labrador physicians can conduct a total of 40 virtual appointments per day.

Osborne calls virtual care essential, but the cap is needed to ensure access to in-person care.

Without a cap, Osborne says the concern is that some would focus primarily on virtual care when what people are demanding is in-person appointments.

Osborne says the cap is something that is being discussed in negotiations with the NLMA.