Physician assistants needed as NS faces staffing shortages and surgery backlog

HALIFAX -- Physician assistants (PAs) could be a vital part of dealing with health care staffing shortages that recently caused the cancellation of surgeries and led to long waits at ERs. The new Conservative government should immediately allow PAs to work in Nova Scotia to support frontline health care workers.

“The health care crisis continues to impact health care workers and patients in our province. The new Conservative government must not delay action, as the former Liberal government did,” said NDP Leader Gary Burrill. “Last week patients had their surgeries rescheduled, people are dealing with long waits for emergency care, and over 75,000 people are now waiting for a family doctor. Anything that could help remedy this quickly should be considered.”

Physician assistants represent a pool of trained health care workers who are currently underutilized. They can help reduce ER closures, ER wait times, and reduce the workload on doctors and other frontline staff.

“The province is fortunate to have so many dedicated people working in health care and they are an essential part of the conversation on how to improve the system,” said NDP Health spokesperson Susan Leblanc. “That conversation must include physician assistants who have said they want to work in Nova Scotia, they just need the government to work with them.”

A Conference Board of Canada report said integrating physician assistants into emergency rooms could save the health system up to $1 billion a year nationwide.

“Physician assistants are key members of health care teams, and we work collaboratively with all health care professionals. PAs are reducing wait times, improving access to care, and saving money in other Canadian provinces. At a time when health care in the province is in crisis, Nova Scotians need all hands-on deck. There is no better time to act than now,” said CAPA Director, Nova Scotia, Peter Thibeault, CCPA.

“There are over 700 PAs working in 4 provinces (AB, MB, ON, NB), the Natural Resources Industry and the Canadian Armed Forces in all aspects of medicine. Nova Scotia has 3 PAs on a pilot project with Orthopaedics. The PA profession has proven they are a valuable resource for healthcare and are willing to help all Nova Scotians.”

All health care workers should be supported to work to their full scope of practice. The province could immediately add seven physician assistants to areas most in need of support at a cost of $700,000.

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