NSNDP

November 22nd, 2017

Patients deserve better mental health services and access to primary care

Auditor General's report shows lack of province-wide plan

Halifax – A report from the Auditor General released today provides concerning insights into the state of mental health services and primary care.

“We need to ensure people have access to health care services when they need them, particularly when it comes to the crucial area of mental health care,” said NDP Leader Gary Burrill. “The NDP introduced Nova Scotia’s first Mental Health Strategy. It is unacceptable that the McNeil government hasn’t bothered to follow through on their promised plan or even evaluated the previous strategy.”

According to the Auditor General, there is no province-wide plan for mental health services and the care provided is inconsistent based on where you live. The Auditor General has also pointed out the Liberal government is not monitoring the current processes to recruit doctors.

The report rebuffs the province’s handling of family doctor resources and calls on the Liberal government to better explain their efforts to improve primary care.

“The public has been calling for action on family doctors. Today’s report confirms what patients already now: the Liberals’ plan isn’t working,” said Tammy Martin, NDP Spokesperson for Health and Wellness. “The number of people on the list for a family doctor continues to grow and we don’t even know how the list is organized or used.”
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