On Wednesday, September 28th, the provincial government announced updates on their efforts to address the physician shortage in NL in collaboration with the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Newfoundland and Labrador.
The College of Physicians and Surgeons NL sets the qualifying criteria for registration and licensing, allowing medical professionals to work in the province. New initiatives by CPSNL and the provincial government are aimed at simplifying the licensing process for physicians trained in other provinces and internationally.
- 450 hours of clinical practice in 3 years (before application) will now be required to obtain a license
- Changes have been made in the application requirements for a Specialty Practice license, with allowances for previously licensed specialists to obtain a license again
- Provisional licenses for general practice locums can be granted to students in a postgraduate specialty training program at the MUN Faculty of Medicine
- 3 previously mandatory courses for applicants are now optional but recommended (‘Writing Prescriptions’, ‘Safe Prescribing’, ‘Personal Health Information Act’.
The Minister of Health and Community Services, Tom Osbourne, commented:
“While recruitment and retention challenges are not unique to Newfoundland and Labrador, our government continues to find innovative means to help increase our healthcare workforce. Continued collaboration with stakeholders like the College of Physicians and Surgeons is integral, as together we continue to work towards better health outcomes for the residents of our province.
Honourable Tom Osborne, Minister of Health and Community Services
Other initiatives that the province has undertaken to increase the number of medical professionals in NL include—a pilot program designed to encourage retired family physicians to return to practice, the New Family Physician Income Guarantee that grants new family doctors (who bill on a fee for service basis) a minimum income equivalent to that of salaried physicians for the first 2 years of their practice, and the Family Practice Start-Up Program that grants $150,000 to new family physicians who commit to practicing in the community for 5 years.
Recruiting and retaining physicians in NL is important to providing communities with essential healthcare services. According to the CEO and Registrar of the College of Physicians and Surgeons of NL, Dr. Tanis Adey:
“We appreciate the opportunity to collaborate with the Minister and the Department of Health and Community Services. The College continues to review all licensing standards and processes to optimize efficiency and advance standards for the current landscape, while ensuring that physicians who are licensed have the necessary knowledge, skills, and experience to provide safe and quality medical care to the people of Newfoundland and Labrador.”
Dr. Tanis Adey, CEO & Registrar
College of Physicians and Surgeons of Newfoundland and Labrador
