Adult and child looking at a computer screen with a Doctor on it

Expansions to Nova Scotia’s Primary Care Plan

The recent announcement regarding expansions to Nova Scotia’s Primary Care Plan includes a variety of healthcare facilities, such as collaborative family practice teams, primary care clinics, after-hours clinics, urgent care centers, and urgent treatment centers. These additions and enhancements will offer better care options and faster service, reducing the need for patients to resort to emergency departments or endure long waiting times for healthcare professionals.

Central Nova Scotia will see 14 new or strengthened clinics in the region.

One new collaborative family practice team is scheduled to open in Dartmouth North in early 2024. This will be a team of at least three healthcare providers in one clinic, working together to provide the most relevant, complete, and efficient care for every patient.

Two collaborative family practice teams will be strengthened.

Dartmouth North: will serve as a community hub by including a range of NS Health services and programs. RFP issued March 2023. Scheduled to open early 2025.

Eastern Passage: An existing clinic will be moved to a larger location to allow increased staffing. An additional nurse practitioner began on May 1. Relocation is scheduled for Fall 2023.

The Central Zone will also be adding a Locum Team. Unlike other teams, this one will not be based in a clinic. It will provide coverage for primary care practices in the Central Zone where needed. Hiring for this is in progress.

Four new primary care clinics will be added to provide short-term primary medical care for people on the Need a Family Practice Registry. Appointments may be provided in-person or virtually depending on the patient’s needs and resources available at each clinic. Patients will be required to book appointments.

West Hants: scheduled to open Summer 2023
Dartmouth South: scheduled to open early 2024
Halifax Shopping Centre: scheduled to open early 2024
Halifax Shopping Centre: The requested care clinic is scheduled to open early 2024. This will be a new clinic for people on the Need a Family Practice Registry with defined needs.

The Kearney Lake Primary Care Clinic will strengthen its services by increasing staffing.

Five new urgent care centres are being added to provide access to urgent care for attached (and some unattached) patients by forming a group of local primary care practices. These private practices work collectively to provide appointments for each other’s patients during evenings and weekends.

West Hants: scheduled to open Summer 2023
Bedford/Sackville: scheduled to open late 2023
Clayton Park: scheduled to open late 2023
Halifax Peninsula: scheduled to open late 2023
Dartmouth North: scheduled to open early 2024

More information on the type and locations of the new and expanded clinics in other regions can be found here.