The number of Nova Scotians without a family doctor or nurse practitioner is moving in the right direction.

As of March 1, 2026, 63,221 Nova Scotians are on the Need a Family Practice Registry—2,569 fewer people than one month earlier. That means thousands more people are being connected to care, while the system continues to manage new demand.

Today, just 6.3 per cent of Nova Scotia’s population is on the registry.

In addition to attaching more people to family doctors and nurse practitioners, our PC government is expanding pharmacy primary care, allowing pharmacists to assess, prescribe and manage treatment for common conditions.

These numbers represent real progress—but more importantly, they represent families gaining access to primary care, continuity and peace of mind. And our work continues.

A stronger healthcare system starts with growing our own workforce.

That’s why our PC government opened a new medical campus at Cape Breton University, welcoming 30 medical students each year and expanding access to medical training outside Halifax.

We are also increasing opportunities at Dalhousie University, adding five new first-year medical seats this year, with five more coming in 2026–27—giving more Nova Scotians the chance to train, stay and practise here at home.

At the same time, we are supporting internationally trained physicians through faster, fairer pathways to licensure—ensuring qualified doctors can begin caring for patients sooner while meeting Nova Scotia’s high standards for safe, ethical practice.

Recruitment is only part of the solution. Retention matters just as much.

Our PC government introduced a new Physician Retirement Fund, helping doctors build long-term financial security and encouraging them to continue practising in Nova Scotia.

We are also expanding Health Homes—team-based primary care clinics where doctors, nurse practitioners, pharmacists, nurses and social workers work together to deliver coordinated, patient-centred care. There are now more than 119 Health Homes across the province, with continued investment to grow and strengthen this model.

To support family physicians further, we introduced a new fee-for-service payment option—one that better reflects the time, effort and care doctors provide, while rewarding patient attachment and access.

Nova Scotia is training more healthcare workers than ever before—and the results are clear.

This fall, universities across the province exceeded their healthcare enrolment targets, with nearly 1,900 first-year students enrolled across 35 programs. That’s more students than planned, training for healthcare careers right here at home.

Our government backed this growth with major investments, including $44.5 million for healthcare training initiatives in 2024–25 and $58.9 million to open the new Cape Breton medical campus.

By expanding seats, offering free tuition and providing bursaries and debt relief, we are making healthcare careers more accessible—and building a workforce that will serve Nova Scotians for decades to come.

Our PC government is making hospitals more accessible, modern, and capable of meeting the healthcare needs of Nova Scotians—today and for the future.

This includes:

• Free Healthcare Parking: As of May 1, 2025, parking is free at all Nova Scotia Health and IWK hospitals and healthcare centres, removing an unnecessary cost for patients, families, and healthcare workers accessing care.
• Halifax Infirmary Expansion (QEII): The largest healthcare infrastructure project ever undertaken in Atlantic Canada. This expansion will deliver a modern acute care tower with 216 beds, 16 operating rooms, expanded ICU capacity, and a larger emergency department, significantly increasing hospital capacity across the province.
• Bayers Lake Community Outpatient Centre: Opened in November 2023, providing many of the same clinics and treatments previously delivered at the Victoria General and Halifax Infirmary, with more convenient access and ample parking for patients travelling to Halifax.
• Dartmouth General Hospital Expansion: Now complete, increasing surgical, diagnostic imaging, ambulatory, and inpatient capacity, with new operating rooms, ICU space, dialysis chairs, a new pharmacy, improved patient flow, and expanded parking.
• Cape Breton Regional Hospital Redevelopment: Major upgrades underway, including a new stand-alone Cancer Centre, expanded emergency department, larger critical care units, new surgical suites, additional outpatient beds, and modern family and newborn services, bringing more specialized care closer to home.
• Glace Bay Hospital Improvements: A new and expanded emergency department, along with renovations to pharmacy, surgical services, ophthalmology, and other clinical areas to meet current and future demand.
• New Waterford Consolidated Hospital Replacement: A new health centre strengthening primary care, urgent care, mental health and addictions services, ambulatory clinics, and adding 12 short-stay beds, designed around collaborative care teams and community supports.
• Northside General Hospital Expansion: A new health centre expanding primary care, urgent care, dialysis services, diagnostic imaging, mental health supports, ambulatory clinics, and adding 12 short-stay beds to improve access to care.
• Yarmouth Regional Hospital Emergency Department: Construction has started on a new emergency department that will double capacity, allowing care for 30 patients at a time, with space for four ambulances, improving emergency access for people in Yarmouth, Shelburne, and Digby counties.
• Hants Community Hospital Renovations: Upgrades now allow for up to 800 additional surgeries per year, nearly doubling surgical capacity and improving access to care closer to home.

Better access to care also means shorter waits—and Nova Scotia is now leading the country.

According to the Canadian Institute for Health Information, Nova Scotia ranks at or near the top nationally for surgical performance:

• First in Canada for cataract surgeries within benchmark times
• Third nationally for hip and knee replacements
• Above the national average for timely hip fracture repairs

In 2024–25 alone:

• More than 57,000 surgeries were completed
• Surgical waitlists reached a 10-year low
• Average wait times fell to a five-year low

These improvements are the result of sustained action under our Action for Health Plan—and they mean faster care for thousands of Nova Scotians.

Nova Scotia is also opening doors for internationally trained doctors who want to call this province home.

A new PACE Clinic in Halifax will help qualified physicians complete their assessments in just 12 weeks, dramatically reducing the time it takes to become licensed.

As the centre expands, it will connect thousands more patients to primary care—while ensuring doctors meet Canadian standards and commit to serving Nova Scotians.

Nurses are essential to delivering care in communities across Nova Scotia. Our PC government is strengthening the nursing workforce by creating clearer, faster pathways to training and career advancement.

We have expanded eligibility for LPN-to-RN bridge programs at Cape Breton University and St. Francis Xavier University, allowing licensed practical nurses to use their existing education and experience to become registered nurses more quickly. Opening the door for an estimated 4,400 new LPNs in Nova Scotia.

At the same time, we are supporting continuing care assistants (CCAs) to advance into nursing through the CCA–Practical Nursing Bridging Program at Nova Scotia Community College. The program provides free tuition and books, flexible learning options, and the ability to work part-time while studying, in exchange for a commitment to work in continuing care after graduation.

Accessing care shouldn’t be complicated. That’s why our PC government launched YourHealthNS—a first-of-its-kind mobile app that puts healthcare services, personal health information and support just a tap away.

YourHealthNS helps Nova Scotians better navigate the healthcare system by bringing key services together in one place. From booking appointments and finding nearby care, to securely accessing vaccination records and health information, the app makes it easier and faster to get connected.

When people can quickly access their information and understand their options, they can make better decisions about their care—leading to better outcomes across the system.