Our PC Government continues to make steady progress connecting Nova Scotians with primary care.
As of April 1, 2026, there are 61,947 Nova Scotians on the Need a Family Practice Registry, down from 63,221 on March 1, a decrease of 1,274 people in one month. This means more Nova Scotians are getting connected to the care they need.
This positive change reflects the ongoing movement on the registry, including new registrations, as well as Nova Scotians successfully being matched with a family doctor or nurse practitioner and updates to existing files.
Currently, 5.7 per cent of Nova Scotians remain on the registry, meaning the vast majority are already attached to a primary care provider.
Nova Scotia Health will provide its next update in early May as work continues to ensure more Nova Scotians have access to primary care.
Need a Family Practice Registry as of April 1, 2026
Behind these numbers is real action for recruitment:
- Training more doctors through the new Cape Breton University medical school, which will welcome 30 students each year
- Supporting internationally trained physicians through PACE (Physician Assessment Centre of Excellence): helping qualified doctors earn licensure more quickly while meeting Nova Scotia’s high standards for safe, ethical practice.
- Opening more Dalhousie medical seats for Nova Scotians: five new first-year seats this fall, and five more in 2026-27—growing our homegrown talent pipeline.
Our PC government has also taken significant action for healthcare retention:
- Introducing a new Physician Retirement Fund: helping retain more doctors by supporting long-term financial security. The program provides annual provincial contributions toward physicians’ retirement savings, based on their years of service, employment status, and personal contributions.
- Investing in Health Homes: a team-based approach where family doctors, nurse practitioners, pharmacists, social workers, and family practice nurses work together to deliver coordinated, patient-focused care. There are now over 119 Health Homes across Nova Scotia, and we continue to invest in expanding and strengthening them.
- Introducing a new fee-for-service model: giving family physicians a new payment option that rewards time, effort, and patient care. Doctors will now have compensation that reflects their hours worked, services provided, and the number of patients they serve, along with new grants and annual payments tied to patient volume.
There’s so much more to come this year and the direction is clear: More Care, Faster.