Saskatchewan NDP Pledges To Improve Access To Primary Care, Moe's Failures Have Left 200,000 People Without A Family Doctor
For immediate release: October 16, 2024
SASKATCHEWAN NDP PLEDGES TO IMPROVE ACCESS TO PRIMARY CARE, MOE’s FAILURES HAVE LEFT 200,000 PEOPLE WITHOUT A FAMILY DOCTOR
SASKATOON – On Tuesday, the Saskatchewan NDP committed to improving access to primary care for people. Nathaniel Teed, Saskatchewan NDP candidate for Saskatoon Meewasin, outlined the party’s plan to launch an online portal that shows every family doctor and nurse practitioner accepting new patients and plans to hire more primary physicians and nurse practitioners so people can get the care they need.
“It should be easy, not hard to find a family doctor in Saskatchewan,” said Teed. “But under Scott Moe and the Sask. Party, they’ve let families fend for themselves with no resource to help them get the healthcare they deserve. In addition, they’ve done nothing to address the crisis of doctors and nurse practitioners fleeing the province.”
Scott Moe and the Sask. Party removed online reporting of family doctors accepting new patients to hide just how badly they’ve broken Saskatchewan’s healthcare system.
The shortage of family doctors means more of a strain on our emergency rooms and other healthcare services. And now, to make matters worse, more cuts to healthcare are coming in the Sask. Party’s platform. It’s shocking to see at a time when such a large number of people in Saskatchewan can’t even access primary care.”
Scott Moe and the Sask. Party have failed to recruit and retain healthcare workers, resulting in over 200,000 people in Saskatchewan without regular access to a family doctor.
Teed was joined by Perry, a saskatoon resident whose family has often lost access to family doctors due to Saskatchewan losing them to other countries and provinces.
“Without regular access to a family doctor, managing chronic conditions, getting timely referrals, or even just having a trusted healthcare provider becomes a constant struggle.” said Perry. “It’s made even harder because specialists, like psychiatrists, are leaving too. Their replacements need to refer to a family doctor to fill prescriptions, but how are they supposed to do that if we don’t have one?”
A Saskatchewan NDP government will invest $1.1 billion in new healthcare funding over the next four years to create more permanent healthcare positions in addition to the online resource that will help connect people to a doctor.
“Everyone deserves a family doctor and the Saskatchewan NDP will make it easier for you to get one,” added Teed. “It’s time to get Saskatchewan out of last place in healthcare. It’s time for change.”
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