New Brunswick reports gains in primary care access

A total of 6,768 New Brunswickers have been connected to a family doctor or nurse practitioner since September, according to the provincial government.

Latest figures show 70.9 per cent of New Brunswickers had a primary care provider as of Oct. 30, up 0.7 percentage points.

The province said 626,122 of New Brunswick’s 882,821 Medicare registrants are now attached to a family doctor or nurse practitioner.

Average physician roster size has increased to 1,015 patients.

The government said that suggests investments in a new physician contract and collaborative care clinics are helping improve access to primary care.

Progress has been reported at clinics in communities including Miramichi, Hampton, Fredericton’s north side and St. Stephen, where patients waiting for primary care are being attached to providers.

“Our number one priority is improving New Brunswickers’ access to primary care and delivering care close to home,” Premier Susan Holt said in a government release.

“We are committed to showing New Brunswickers the progress being made in real time, ensuring people have confidence that their health-care system is moving in the right direction.”

The province currently supports 22 collaborative care clinics with a combined patient attachment goal of more than 29,500 people. The clinics bring together health-care professionals to provide team-based primary care.

Health Minister John Dornan said the latest numbers show progress in connecting more residents to care.

“The data we are receiving from primary care providers shows the positive progress in attaching more New Brunswickers to primary care,” Dornan said.

“Our investments in doctors, nurses and collaborative care are helping connect more New Brunswickers to the care they need, when and where they need it.”

The government has committed to establishing at least 30 collaborative care clinics by the end of 2027.

Monthly updates on patient attachment numbers will continue, and a public-facing dashboard is expected to launch in the coming months.