With Nova Scotia’s medical staff shortages, long surgery wait times and lingering barriers to primary care, physician assistants say they are an untapped resource in the province.
Peter Thibeault, the Nova Scotia director of the Canadian Association of Physician Assistants, said he doesn’t understand why the “immeasurable” value of physician assistants, known as PAs, is not being recognized in the province. As of April 1, there were 88,300 Nova Scotians on the province’s primary care wait-list, a record high. In March 2022, there were 27,000 Nova Scotians waiting for surgery, according to results from a freedom of information request by the Nova Scotia NDP.
Provincial governments or colleges of physicians and surgeons in New Brunswick, Manitoba, Alberta and Ontario have made provisions for physician assistants to work in civilian facilities.Nova Scotia health-care workers respond to eased restrictions – Mar 16, 2022