New Brunswick Premier Susan Holt said a new way of calculating the number of patients with a family doctor is the province’s only reliable measure of the data. “Having the first ever reliable measure of patient attachment, paired with the best collaborative care model in the country, has put us in a position to get at attachment more quickly and more effectively in the months and days to come,” she told reporters in a press conference on Thursday. Previously, the number of residents with a primary care provider was estimated through information from a phone survey, the regional health authorities and NB Health Link. Now, it’s being calculated using Medicare data. “We need to have accurate data, accurate reliable data to know where we are and to measure the impact of our efforts,” she said. In January, the province announced the 2025 attachment rate was at 72.5 per cent. Currently, the rate has decreased to 70.2 per cent, with 619,354 people attached to a primary care provider. But Health Minister John Dornan said comparing the two percentages is like comparing apples and oranges. “The number that we used before was not reliable. In fact, if we had a reliable number a year ago, it might be a lot lower than 619,” he said. The province will collect monthly data, by region. Holt said that will help inform where the province opens new collaborative care clinics. The news is garnering praise from the New Brunswick Medical Society’s president. “Our new Physician Services Agreement is the first in Canada to require family physicians to track and report patient attachment information to the Department of Health. This gives us a more accurate understanding of attachment across the province and creates greater accountability for improving access to primary care,” Dr. Carl Boucher said in a statement. The total number of people signed up to Medicare is 882,112 — meaning 262,758 people still have no family doctor. People like Fredericton resident Tannas Webb. “My name’s been on a waiting list, and we are just patiently waiting for one. I know I have friends here that have had their name on the list for many months or even years and still have no family doctor, so it’s very unfortunate. It’s a complex situation,” she said. But she’s optimistic about the Holt government’s efforts. “Rome wasn’t built in a day, so I think she’s working on it,” she said. For more New Brunswick news, visit our dedicated provincial page.
