The Inverness's candidates' promises on Health & Healthcare

Diagnostics and procedures

Liberal

Build three new diagnostic centres for excellence
Create an independent adjudicative agency to quickly rule on out-of-province medical care requests

"A Nova Scotia Liberal government will establish an independent adjudicative agency to quickly rule on out-of-province medical care requests. This will ensure that Nova Scotians are able to travel outside of the province to receive lifesaving care if it isn’t available in Nova Scotia, and we’ll let experts—instead of politicians—decide the criteria for those decisions." — Better Deal for Nova Scotians, retrieved 2024-11-09
Expand screening for residents with high risk factors for disease, like women with dense breasts

We don't have any NDP policies on Diagnostics and procedures.

We don't have any PC policies on Diagnostics and procedures.

Emergency wait-times

Liberal

Invest to reopen emergency rooms, build collaborative care clinics, and begin work on a new hospital to server Annapolis Valley

"We will invest to re- open emergency rooms, build collaborative care clinics, and begin work on a new hospital to serve the Annapolis Valley region." — Better Deal for Nova Scotians, retrieved 2024-11-09

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We don't have any NDP policies on Emergency wait-times.

We don't have any PC policies on Emergency wait-times.

Family doctors and primary care

Liberal

Build and expand 40 collaborative health care clinics across the province

"We have a shortage of family doctors, and we need to do more to get Nova Scotians the care they need. The Municipality of Clare has a phenomenal primary care model that is fully staffed with healthcare professionals eager to work there. Healthcare professionals have also told us that they want to practice in such a collaborative setting. These clinics improve working conditions, reduce administrative burden, and keep doctors in Nova Scotia.

We can emulate this model province-wide, put a halt to the skyrocketing family doctor waitlist, and attach patients to primary care providers.

A Nova Scotia Liberal government will implement a collaborative care model province-wide by building and expanding 40 collaborative health care clinics across the province. We’ll work closely with existing clinics to make sure they’re running efficiently and are able to take on more patients.

We will increase the annual incentive for physicians from $5,000 to $10,000 if they agree to join a collaborative care practice and increase their patient rosters. We will also introduce bonuses and incentives of up to $15,000 for allied health professionals who commit to working at a collaborative health clinic for a minimum of 5 years.

Initially, we will focus on areas of the province that have the highest percentage of their residents currently waiting on a family doctor:

ʘ New Glasgow - 26.1% of population on the registry (8,890 people)

ʘ Yarmouth - 25.3% ... (6,284 people)

ʘ Bridgewater - 22.9% ... (6,382 people)

ʘ Bedford - 22.4% ... (10,395 people)

ʘ Amherst - 20.9% ... (2,834 people)

ʘ Sackville - 20.7% ... (10,082 people)

ʘ Halifax Peninsula - 20.1% ... (13,852 people)

ʘ Clayton Park - 20% ... (7,784 people)

ʘ Middleton - 17.7% ... (3,930 people)

ʘ Sydney - 16.9% ... (8,430 people)

ʘ Dartmouth/Cole Harbour: 15.3% ... (20,237 people)"

— Better Deal for Nova Scotians, retrieved 2024-11-09
Reduce administrative burdens for family physicians
Expand the number of training positions for family doctors

NDP

Open 15 collaborative Family Doctor Clinics across the province within one year
Move to automatic, location-based attachments to family doctors

"Connecting you to a family doctor faster by moving to automatic, location-based attachments. In a primary care crisis, our priority is to connect patients and doctors as quickly as possible - this universal, automatic attachment model is being seen more and more around the globe as the best way to create primary care connections and the fastest way of reducing family doctor wait times." — Leadership You Can Believe In, retrieved 2024-11-16
Open 15 collaborative clinics per year for three more years

We don't have any PC policies on Family doctors and primary care.

Health administration

Liberal

Ensure family doctor waitlists and other healthcare data profiles are updated monthly

"We will ensure family doctor waitlists and other healthcare data portals are updated monthly, reflecting actual wait times and data." — Better Deal for Nova Scotians, retrieved 2024-11-09

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We don't have any NDP policies on Health administration.

We don't have any PC policies on Health administration.

Health staffing

Liberal

Forgive up to 20% of an in-demand health professional's student loan annually for up to 5 years

"We will forgive up to 20% of an in-demand health professional’s student loan annually for up to 5 years, based on the number of hours of in-person service." — Better Deal for Nova Scotians, retrieved 2024-11-09
Expand the number of training positions for family doctors
Double annual funding to a programme to get more physician assistants trained and able to provide healthcare

"A Physician Assistant is a crucial role in meeting the growing demands of our health care system and expanding collaborative care in Nova Scotia, but there are currently only 19 physician assistants in the province. We will double annual funding to the program to get more physician assistants trained and able to provide healthcare." — Better Deal for Nova Scotians, retrieved 2024-11-09

NDP

Provide recruitment and retention incentives to doctors, nurse practitioners, nurses, and other health professionals who stay in Nova Scotia

"As part of a realistic and long-term health human resources strategy we'll, new recruitment and retention incentives in return for a long-term Nova Scotia residency guarantee." — Leadership You Can Believe In, retrieved 2024-11-16

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PC

Create an internal travel nursing team, so as to stop relying on external companies for health staffing

"The new internal nursing team will employ nurses out of the Nova Scotia Health Authority. A pilot program focussed on Emergency Department nurses will launch by the end of 2024. The estimate for the 30-nurse pilot travel nurse team is approximately $5.3 million. If the Province were to hire 30 private agency nurses, the cost would be $8.2 million, resulting in savings of $2.9 million under the PC plan." — pcpartyns.ca, retrieved 2024-11-10

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Hospice care

Liberal

Build new hospice spaces throughout the province

"A Nova Scotia Liberal government will enhance hospice care programs. We’ll work with communities and non-profit groups to identify hospice sites and build new hospice spaces throughout the province." — Better Deal for Nova Scotians, retrieved 2024-11-09

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We don't have any NDP policies on Hospice care.

We don't have any PC policies on Hospice care.

Hospitals

Liberal

Include additional parking for staff and patients in the QEII development

"We’ll also work to ensure that the QEII development includes additional parking for staff and patients." — Better Deal for Nova Scotians, retrieved 2024-11-09
Invest to reopen emergency rooms, build collaborative care clinics, and begin work on a new hospital to server Annapolis Valley

"We will invest to re- open emergency rooms, build collaborative care clinics, and begin work on a new hospital to serve the Annapolis Valley region." — Better Deal for Nova Scotians, retrieved 2024-11-09
Make parking free at all Nova Scotia Health sites

"A Nova Scotia Liberal government will make parking free at all Nova Scotia Health sites, saving Nova Scotians money as they access our healthcare system." — Better Deal for Nova Scotians, retrieved 2024-11-09

NDP

Remove hospital park fees for hospital workers and families with a loved one needing care

"Removing hospital parking fees for families with a loved one needing care and the workers providing it." — Leadership You Can Believe In, retrieved 2024-11-16

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PC

Make parking free at all Nova Scotia Health facilities and the IWK

Long-term care

Liberal

Ensure veterans have access to long-term care beds

"Veterans have been promised beds in long-term care facilities, but Tim Houston isn’t honouring that promise. A Nova Scotia Liberal government will ensure that Veterans are able to access the long-term care beds that they have been promised." — Better Deal for Nova Scotians, retrieved 2024-11-09

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NDP

Build a single long-term care room for every senior who wants one
Increase the minimum daily hours of direct care each resident receives to 4.1 hours
Prohibit public money from being spent to fund new beds in for-profit homes

We don't have any PC policies on Long-term care.

Mental health

Liberal

Invest in mental health walk-in clinics, equally distributed throughout the province

"A Nova Scotia Liberal government will invest in mental health walk-in clinics, equitably distributed throughout the province, to give Nova Scotians more access to mental health care. These would be attached to our collaborative care centres to offer more health services where people need them." — Better Deal for Nova Scotians, retrieved 2024-11-09

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NDP

Fast-track the expansion of civilian-led and health-focused crisis response teams across the province

"Delivering supportive, safe, quality care when a mental health crisis is reported to 911. When people are in crisis and don't know where to turn, we're going to make sure they get the urgent and compassionate care they need. We will fast-track the expansion of civilian-led and health-focused crisis response teams across the province - this will free up police resources and help reduce stigma for those suffering from mental illness." — Leadership You Can Believe In, retrieved 2024-11-16

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We don't have any PC policies on Mental health.

Prescription drugs and pharmacare

We don't have any Liberal policies on Prescription drugs and pharmacare.

NDP

Eliminate Seniors' Pharamacare premiums
Cover the costs of home cancer drugs through Pharmacare
Waive the deductible families pay for prescription drugs and devices covered by Family Pharmacare
Make the HIV prevention medication PrEP universally available to anyone who needs it

We don't have any PC policies on Prescription drugs and pharmacare.

Seniors

Liberal

Double the Seniors Care Grant to $1,500/year, and expand eligibility to include up to $50K in annual income

"A Nova Scotia Liberal government will provide dedicated support to seniors by doubling the tax-free seniors care grant to $1,500 each year to help them stay in their homes longer, stay healthy, and live better lives. We will also increase program eligibility so that households with up to $50,000 in annual income are eligible." — Better Deal for Nova Scotians, retrieved 2024-11-09
Invest $5M in programmes to adapt existing housing to meet seniors' needs as they age
Hire and train more home care workers
Develop housing solutions for seniors like small walkable communities or apartment buildings with specific wellness supports

"We will work with seniors to develop specific housing plans to meet their needs. We’ll develop options like small walkable communities with homes for seniors or apartment buildings with specific wellness supports, and work to make sure seniors’ needs are being met in the housing market." — Better Deal for Nova Scotians, retrieved 2024-11-09

NDP

Create a $1,400 tax credit that can be claimed by anyone providing ongoing voluntary care to a family member, a friend or a neighbour

"The vast majority of health care now takes place in the home, provided by friends or family members. Such care needs can be acute, long-term and vary considerably. In order to support as many caregivers as possible, Claudia Chender and the Nova Scotia NDP will create a new Caregivers Tax Credit of $1,400 that can be claimed by any Nova Scotian who is providing ongoing voluntary care to a family member, a friend or a neighbour in the province." — Leadership You Can Believe In, retrieved 2024-11-16
Eliminate Seniors' Pharamacare premiums

PC

Provide the shingles vaccine for free to everyone 65 and older

"Implement a universal (no cost) shingles program for all Nova Scotians 65 and older, giving free access to the vaccine to everyone." — Make It Happen, retrieved 2024-11-10

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Sexual and reproductive health

We don't have any Liberal policies on Sexual and reproductive health.

NDP

Provide free contraceptives
Increase the number of sonographers across the province to reduce abortion delays
Regulate anti-choice crisis pregnancy centres
Make surgical abortion procedures available in underserved regions

We don't have any PC policies on Sexual and reproductive health.

Women's health

Liberal

Provide publicly-available free menstrual products in all provincial buildings
Require 50% of all health research funding in the province to be used for studying women's health
Re-establish the Atlantic Centre of Excellence for Women's Health

"In addition, we will re-establish the Atlantic Centre of Excellence for Women’s Health to address current gaps, enhance research on women’s health issues, and strengthen the Nova Scotian health system response to the specific health needs and concerns of women in our province." — Better Deal for Nova Scotians, retrieved 2024-11-09
Appoint a Minister of Women's Health

"To address this, we will name a Minister of Women’s Health to ensure that, throughout the system, a gender lens is applied to the delivery of healthcare, and a blueprint is adopted for improving women’s health. This will help us tackle specific health issues women are facing in this province, like endometriosis and ovarian cancer." — Better Deal for Nova Scotians, retrieved 2024-11-09

NDP

Provide home self-screening kits to test for HPV

"Helping prevent cervical cancer by detecting it earlier. We will provide home self-screening kits to test for human papillomavirus (HPV) - making it easy for people to proactively detect the virus before it leads to cervical cancer." — Leadership You Can Believe In, retrieved 2024-11-16
Provide free menopause treatment with hormone replacement therapy

"Protecting women against health care risks like heart disease and osteoporosis, and reduce the risk of cancer, by providing free menopause treatment with HRT." — Leadership You Can Believe In, retrieved 2024-11-16
Create a new midwifery strategy to increase the number of midwives in the province and expand their scope of services

"Improving maternity care across the province through a new midwifery strategy that increases the number of midwives in Nova Scotia and expands their scope of reproductive and sexual health care services - including more services like IUD insertion and prescribing Mifegymiso - to help ease the pressure on other primary care providers while providing more personalized care for people." — Leadership You Can Believe In, retrieved 2024-11-16

PC

Create a Menopause Centre of Excellence

"Support women's health and create Canada's first Menopause Centre of Excellence." — Make It Happen, retrieved 2024-11-10
Consider adding new MSI billing codes for menopause counselling

"In addition, the re-elected PC Government will also explore adding new MSI billing codes for menopause counselling to support family doctors as they in turn support women." — pcpartyns.ca, retrieved 2024-11-10