Health Minister provides update on Health Accord saying there's been a lot of progress made

Krista Lynn Howell says emergency departments had a decrease from 1432 hours per month in 2022 to now 34 hours per month in 2025, joint replacements completed have exceeded new referrals for the first time in 2024-25 and there are increased volumes of cardiac surgeries being completed.

Since the Health Accord was released three years ago, Health Minister Krista Lynn Howell says a lot of progress has been made. In an update last week, she says the lens of the accord gave them the ability to see the bigger picture with a ten year roadmap. Howell says as of this summer, more than 100,000 people are now connected to family care teams and a new funding agreement with Nurse Practitioners will improve access to care that will be directly billed to MCP. She says emergency departments had a decrease from 1432 hours per month in 2022 to now 34 hours per month in 2025, joint replacements completed have exceeded new referrals for the first time in 2024-25 and there are increased volumes of cardiac surgeries being completed.

Howell says as well, people on the west coast can now get radiation treatment at Western Memorial Regional Hospital since two new radiation oncologists are now working there. She says there was a 7 percent increase in the number of licensed physicians in the province from 2021 to 2024, bringing the number to 1771 doctors.