Doctors Nova Scotia reaches tentative agreements with government

Doctors Nova Scotia has reached tentative agreements with the Department of Health and Wellness on new four-year contracts for the province’s doctors. The contracts will be presented to Nova Scotia’s physicians for ratification.

“We believe we have now reached the best deals possible for Nova Scotia’s doctors,” said Dr. Gary Ernest, President of Doctors Nova Scotia. “These contracts, if ratified, will help stabilize some of the most critical services in our province.”

The tentative agreements were reached after 11 months at the negotiations table. On Oct. 25 the association’s Board of Directors reviewed the details of the tentative Master Agreement and Master Clinical/Academic Funding Plan (C/AFP) contracts and recommended they be presented to the province’s physicians for ratification.

Physicians were informed of the tentative agreements on Monday, Oct. 28. They will have the opportunity to vote between Nov. 4 and 25. Doctors Nova Scotia will not discuss the contract details with the public until after ratification. A public announcement of those results is expected on Nov. 27.

If ratified, these four-year contracts will replace the 2015 Master Agreement and C/AFP Master Agreement. The agreements impact more than 3,100 physicians.

The 2015 Master Agreement and the C/AFP Master Agreement expired on March 31, 2019.