Recruitment and retention of physicians remains a key concern for the NLMA, which says the provincial budget delivered last week remains lacking.

President-elect of the NL Medical Association, Dr. Stephen Major says attracting and keeping doctors in Newfoundland and Labrador will remain a challenge until a fair compensation process can be worked out.

The province has set aside $30 million for four additional family care teams to be located in Lewisporte, Portugal Cove-St. Phillips, the Springdale-Baie Verte area and downtown St. John’s, but Dr. Major says they’re still having difficulty understanding how integrated family care teams will improve patient care.

As Major puts it “we’re in a situation where access to primary care is the primary issue” and “it’s not clear to me that what we’re doing when we attach patients to these teams is necessarily to have good, coordinated care for those patients.”