The provincial government is bringing in major reform to health care based on information gathered by the Health Accord process.
The plan involves the establishment of community-based collaborative health teams, and walk-in clinics for people without a family doctor according to Health Minister John Haggie.
The current collaborative team clinic on Mundy Pond Road will be moving to Pippy Place. The new space, along with the addition of allied health providers, mental health counsellors and chronic disease nurses, will allow that clinic to reopen its wait list. He anticipates the clinic to be able to accept up to 1,200 new patients in addition to the 2600 patients who are already rostered to the clinic.
There are also continued financial incentives for post-secondary medical students, and $25-million for the redesign of the Health Sciences Emergency Room. The redevelopment focuses on patient flow.
There will be a new recruitment and retention office, incentives to entice health care professionals including international graduates. A program will be established to guarantee income for family doctors for the first two years of practice. New family-practice physicians will be eligible for $100,000 for physicians who stay in the community for five years.
The establishment of primary health care teams will provide a comprehensive range of patient services.
The initiatives announced today also include measures on mental health and addictions.
Health Minister John Haggie, using the slogan “Change Starts Here,” says these initiatives are just the beginning.
Today’s plan for health care realignment also includes efforts to improve recruitment and retention of physicians, greater support to attract new nurses, and initiatives to reduce response times and improve working conditions for paramedics. Some of the initiatives are new, while others have already been announced or implemented.
A request for proposals will be issued for the development of a Health Human Resource Plan to ensure the provision of what government is calling “the right care for residents, in the right place, at the right time.”
Financial support is also being provided for new family physicians for the first two years of practice, and $100,000 dollars will be provided for new family practice residents who open a new comprehensive practice or join an existing one.
Return-in-service bursary programs are also available for medial residents.
There are incentives for nurses, and work is underway to streamline the provincial nominee program to help screen some 350 nursing applicants in hopes that they will be hired as PCAs.
Initiatives have also been introduced to reduce response times and improve working conditions for paramedics, including three new ambulances and crews in the Eastern Health region—adding 25 permanent, full-time paramedics, and increasing the number of primary care paramedic seats by 12.
Government Announces Next Steps for Mental Health and Addictions Care
The provincial government has also announced the next set of priorities as it relates to Mental Health and Addictions care.
The province is planning to release Alcohol and Life Promotion Suicide Prevention action plans.
It also intends to increase community-based services with a focus on care and treatment for people with severe and persistent mental illness.
