Minister Releases Nova Scotia’s Doctor Recruitment Numbers: They’re up Slightly

A doctor examines a patient complaining of flu-like symptoms at Northwestern Memorial Hospital on Jan. 10, 2013 in Chicago City. Scott Olson/Getty Images

The Nova Scotia government is boasting that the number of doctors in the province continues to grow thanks to its recruiting efforts.

But its own online statistics show the number of residents without a doctor is also growing.

Between April 1, 2022, and March 31, 2023, there were 168 new doctors who started practising in the province—but the net gain was only 86 physicians.

Between June 1, 2022, and May 1, 2023, the number of Nova Scotians who have registered to find a doctor had risen from 94,855 to 145,003—an increase of 52 percent on a trend line that has always pointed upward.

Meanwhile, Health Minister Michelle Thompson says the government has introduced measures to recruit more doctors.

They include working with regulators to make it easier for physicians from other jurisdictions to practise in Nova Scotia, and conducting international recruitment drives.

“Working together we continue to showcase Nova Scotia as a great place to live, work and raise a family,” Thompson said in a statement. “We know that there is still much to do but our hard work is starting to see results.”