NBMS pleased with provincial budget

The New Brunswick Medical Society is pleased to learn the provincial government will be making significant investments in health care, including improving primary care access, developing and supporting collaborative care models and addressing recruitment and retention challenges. The 10.6 per cent increase in health care spending over last year is positive news for our challenged health system.

Improving primary care access is among our population’s greatest health-care needs. Scaling up team-based care in the province will help to maximize scarce health human resources, reduce duplications of unnecessary testing, and provide timely quality care for citizens.

We were also pleased to see significant investments in other areas such as supporting seniors to age in their homes and increased housing and income supports as these are important social determinants of health.

Although money alone will not solve all the challenges facing the health system, significant and strategic funding is necessary to bring provincial health care to a standard that New Brunswick patients deserve. The NBMS looks forward to continuing to work with government and other stakeholders to help focus these investments to have the greatest impact.