Number of people without a family doctor in N.L. has risen to 136,000, says medical association

New statistics from the Newfoundland and Labrador Medical Association paint a worsening picture of the province's doctor shortage, suggesting 26 per cent of residents don't have a family physician.

The number, based on a Narrative Research poll from the summer, represents more than 136,000 people living in Newfoundland and Labrador, based on population data from that time.

"Family medicine in Newfoundland and Labrador is facing a crisis due to physician shortages, closures of rural emergency departments, and a workforce struggling with increasing demands and mounting overhead pressures," said NLMApresident Dr. Kris Luscombe in a letter to members.

The increase represents a rise of about eight per cent more than 10,000 peoplefrom the most recent poll released last spring.

In recent months, the province's regional health authorities struggle to maintain some services due to staffing shortages.

The NLMA recently signed a "shared agenda" with the provincial government, which Luscombe said will focus on high-level priorityitems to improve family medicine in Newfoundland and Labrador.

The shared agenda includes establishinga physician locum recruitment program, encouraging more physicians tocome to the province for temporary rotations to fill gaps in emergency departments, developinga human resourcesplan and more.

Luscombe said the relationship between the NLMA and the Department of Health has "significantly" improved since Tom Osborne was appointed health minister last year, replacing John Haggie.

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