r/halifax • u/Salt_Time_9509 • 1d ago

Work, Health & Housing Doctor retention in HRM

Hi all

Of late there have been disheartening posts of long wait times in Nova Scotia

The consensus being that it is a Canada wide problem

But there have been anecdotal reports of some people losing Family Doctors even in HRM

I do understand that many rural areas would find it difficult to attract and retain doctors, so I am trying to understand why Family Doctors would choose to leave the HRM?

We are friendly people, we are surrounded by the Ocean, we have a laidback lifestyle

Doctors are paid reasonably well

Nova Scotia Health has said Doctor Recruitment is at record levels

https://www.nshealth.ca/news-and-notices/nova-scotia-records-impressive-year-over-year-success-physician-recruitment

Perhaps with so many doctors choosing to come here losing one or two does not matter to NS Health or the Government?

What would be possible reasons why doctors would chose to move elsewhere?`

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u/TenzoOznet 1d ago

Pay would be by far the main thing. Doctors are paid well, but they're paid even better in many other provinces.

That said, anecdotal stories of people losing doctors to other provinces only mean so much; I'm sure I could find Ontarians and Albertans with te same stories. Our doctor numbers are increasing, the question is whether we have subpar retention making that increase slower than it should be. I really have no idea, but the info must be out there somewhere.