A lack of timely access to primary care in New Brunswick has placed a strain on other areas in the health care system, according to a new report.
Findings from the Primary Health Survey published by the New Brunswick Health Council on Tuesday indicate about 90 per cent of citizens have a primary care provider, though only about half can access them in 5 days or less.
“When people cannot access their family doctor within five days…they end up going somewhere else like an after-hours clinic or an emergency room,” said Stéphane Robichaud, CEO of the New Brunswick Health Council.
Primary health services act as the first point of contact, though access to family doctors and nurse practitioners has been troubling in New Brunswick.
According to a provincial news release issued just over two weeks ago, more than 40,000 people are currently registered to Patient Connect NB – a patient registry for New Brunswickers without access to a primary health care provider.
A challenge for those with a primary care provider is the practice trend of their family physician, said Robichaud.
He said some physicians work five days a week in their practice, another might work a few days in their practice then a few days in a hospital, and others might not have a practice at all.
Challenges can vary by region as Robichaud noted that these issues arise in rural and urban communities.
“The bottom line is every New Brunswicker should have a point of service for their primary health services where they have continuity of care,” Robichaud said.
As for the next steps to fix these issues, Robichaud proposed a teams approach rather than solo practices, allowing patients to have access to health care professionals from several different areas of health care.
