The New Brunswick government has released a new five-year health care plan with what it calls “action items” that it hopes to complete within the first two years.
Priorities include reducing surgical wait times by 50 percent and also reducing wait times for high-priority mental health and addiction services for adults by 40 percent.
Much of the plan focuses on better use of technology for things like virtual appointments and self-scheduling of diagnostic tests like blood tests and X-rays.
Read more:
Public health confusion worries NB Green Party leader, fears political interference
The progressive conservative government has already announced its plan to help people without a family doctor gain access to primary care and increase services for older adults living at home.
The government says it will allow New Brunswick residents to manage their health with access to their own medical information through MyHealthNB.
Health Minister Dorothy Shephard quelled some of the concern about the new plan earlier this week when she published a letter saying there would be no hospital or emergency room closures.
This Canadian Press report was first published on November 17, 2021.
© 2021 The Canadian Press
Reference-globalnews.ca