HALIFAX — Nova Scotia’s registry of people in need of primary care climbed above 116,000 this month — a record high.

The monthly report shows that the number of people waiting for a family doctor or nurse practitioner is up five per cent since Sept. 1. While 1,881 names were removed from the registry, 7,415 were added.

This wait list represents more than 11 per cent of Nova Scotia’s population.

Over the course of one year the list has grown by more than 38,000 people to reach 116,174. 

Officials with Nova Scotia Health have said the rising family doctor wait list is driven by the province’s growing population and physician retirements. 

The wait list grew most in the health zone that includes Halifax and surrounding areas, where there are more than 47,000 people in need of a family physician. 

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 15, 2022.

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This story was produced with the financial assistance of the Meta and Canadian Press News Fellowship.

The Canadian Press