The following statement was given today in the House of Assembly by the Honourable Tom Osborne, Minister of Health and Community Services:

Speaker, I wish to acknowledge World Family Doctor Day, celebrated globally this past Friday, and to recognize the exceptional contributions of family doctors throughout Newfoundland and Labrador.

This year’s theme is “Family Doctors, the heart of health care.” Family physicians, whether in their own clinics or as members of family care teams, are vital to the provision of quality primary care in Newfoundland and Labrador.

Speaker, our government continues to work to better support family doctors so that they can provide the best possible care to their patients.

We have worked with the Newfoundland and Labrador Medical Association on a Shared Agenda for Family Medicine to establish permanent and sustainable improvements to family medicine in Newfoundland and Labrador. We have recently co-designed blended capitation remuneration, which fairly compensates family doctors for treating patients with complex needs.

We have created collaborative work spaces through family care teams to share the workloads in primary care.

Other recruitment and retention initiatives, such as the Family Physician Income Guarantee and the Family Practice Start-Up Program, are helping attract and retain new, qualified family physicians.

The recently announced Manager of Physician Relations position in the Department of Health and Community Services will continue to strengthen our relationship with physicians.

As we work to transform health care in this province, we are tremendously grateful for family doctors and their dedication to the well-being of Newfoundlanders and Labradorians.

Speaker, I ask all Honourable Members to join me in thanking family doctors for their unwavering dedication, care and compassion.