A new Narrative Research poll commissioned by the NL Medical Association shows that 30 per cent of Newfoundlanders and Labradorians asked do not have a family doctor.

The NLMA says based on the province’s population, that percentage represents approximately 163,000 people without a family doctor.

The association says a new report by the Canadian Institute for Health Information released on October 24th found that about 78 per cent of adults in Newfoundland and Labrador have access to a regular health care provider, the second lowest percentage among the ten provinces.

The Narrative Research poll specifically asked residents if they have a family doctor, and whether they have a family physician who they see regularly rather than walk-in clinics or other types of “episodic” care where a patient may see a different provider each visit.

Eighty per cent of participants on the Avalon Peninsula reported that they had a GP, but the number dropped to 67 per cent in eastern and central and 49 per cent in western and Labrador.

The poll was conducted by phone between October 3 and 7 among a random sample of 400 adults in the province. Overall results are accurate within plus or minus 4.9 percentage points 19 times out of 20.