Alward promises more doctors for Fredericton

Published Saturday June 26th, 2010
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By SHAWN BERRY
berry.shawn@dailygleaner.com

Tory Leader David Alward pledged Friday to help Fredericton-area residents find a family doctor.

He said a Progressive Conservative government would open a second collaborative-care clinic in Fredericton and another in the Oromocto area. The clinics would be similar to the Gibson Health Clinic in Marysville.

The Fredericton Chamber of Commerce has been touting the model, and Alward said he wants to roll it out across the province.

While he said the move will help recruit doctors to the area, he isn't guaranteeing every New Brunswicker will have a family doctor if he's elected.

"What I am promising today is a vision that, No. 1, every New Brunswicker, every family in New Brunswick deserves to have a family doctor. What I am promising is that we are going to take this very seriously," he said.

Alward said expanding the collaborative-practice model across the province would help boost the number of patients being seen by doctors. Almost 70,000 New Brunswickers are without a family doctor.

The Gibson Health Clinic sees family doctors practise in a group setting with other health-care professionals such as physiotherapists, nurse practitioners, dieticians and others.

Studies in Manitoba - which has embraced the model - show better patient outcomes in terms of preventing illness, rather than treating symptoms, which can ease the burden on the public hospital system.

The situation in the capital region is of particular concern, Alward said. Eight family physicians are expected to retire over the next four years, leaving 26,700 area residents without a doctor. Opening two new clinics in this region would help address that, he said.

Alward also suggested more could be done to encourage new doctors to stay in New Brunswick.

One of his ideas involves covering the tuition of medical students who study in New Brunswick and commit to practising here after they graduate.

"This concept is used effectively in areas like the Armed Forces, and there's no reason why it can't be brought into our health-care system," he said.

Alward said he'd also be ready to open government coffers to provide financial incentives to get doctors to practise in remote areas of the province.

Alward wouldn't say what his plans would cost taxpayers, but said he will reveal the cost of his campaign promises before the Sept. 27 election.

The Fredericton Chamber of Commerce favours the collaborative-care model as a means of addressing the growing demand for family doctors in the region.

Chamber CEO Susan Holt said she's encouraged by Alward's support for the concept.

"Collaborative care is one of the best ways to recruit doctors and a great way to deliver health care to the public," she said,

But Holt also thinks such announcements should be accompanied by a list of the costs and an analysis of the benefits.

"Absolutely, from a business perspective, we always want to see the numbers ... We need this government to manage the deficit and reduce the deficit," she said.

"So, we want to make sure the initiatives that are being put forward are cost-effective and ideally represent a savings versus how we're delivering health today. I'm optimistic that collaborative care will present that savings opportunity, but we would love to see the financial plan behind it."

Holt said recruiters have told the chamber that doctors prefer the collaborative-care model, which offers the benefits of pooling resources.

"A collaborative-care model gives them more flexibility to have a balance between their professional career and their personal life," she said.

Health Minister Mary Schryer said there's little substance to what Alward is proposing.

"I think he's very vague. There are no concrete actions in the plan from what we can see."

Instead, she said, Alward is looking to follow the Liberals.

"He likes what we're doing. He wants to build a plan based on that."

Schryer said recruitment and retention of doctors has been a priority of all governments.

She also said a trust fund has been established to help reimburse tuition for graduates of the Dalhousie University medical training program in Saint John.

She said the New Brunswick government has supported medical training programs in the province as well as building a centre to train health professionals.