The News (New Glasgow)

Nova Scotia needs improved access to health care in 2019: Opposition

- BY KEITH DOUCETTE

A lack of access to primary health care is an ongoing problem in Nova Scotia and the province’s opposition leaders say they will push the Liberal government to improve the situation in 2019.

Tim Houston, Progressiv­e Conservati­ve Leader and MLA for Pictou East, says with the province spending over $4 billion a year on health care, there is a need to be innovative in order to fix systems he says just aren’t working.

The province has grappled with persistent doctor shortages and emergency room closures in recent years.

Houston points to the provincial wait list, which saw only its second slight decrease in the past year as of Dec. 1, with 55,801 people registered without a family doctor.

While he doesn’t offer a specific solution, Houston said a discussion is needed about how to get people health care where and when they need it.

“We are going to be raising those issues and making sure the government understand­s that it has a responsibi­lity to do better,” he said in a year-end interview with The Canadian Press.

Houston said the current system was designed to address acute care and needs to focus more on chronic conditions and prevention given the province’s aging population.

He also believes throwing more money at problem areas isn’t a panacea for what ills the system.

“Before you just spend more money you should understand what you are spending,” he said.

Houston said he believes health care spending should be “tightened up” to eliminate waste before more money is committed.

He said areas his party will watch closely in 2019, include the developmen­t of the one-patientone-record system and the estimated $2-billion redevelopm­ent of the QEII Health Sciences Centre in Halifax.

The government announced in October that the bulk of the hospital project would be funded through a public-private partnershi­p.

“We can’t take our eye of the ball on that one,” said Houston. “We need to make sure that it’s done in a good and effective manner and question whether it is improving health care.”

Newspapers in English

Newspapers from Canada