Family physicians are often the first stop for people who need health or wellness advice, treatment of a health issue or injury, or diagnosis and management of health conditions. Family physicians in Nova Scotia are managing patients who are older and require more complex care than ever before. The province has high rates of chronic illness, and one of the oldest populations in Canada. Family physicians in Nova Scotia provide the additional care and management required to effectively meet the complex health-care needs of the province’s population.

Doctors Nova Scotia’s position paper, The Backbone of Primary Health Care: The role and value of family physicians in Nova Scotia, was developed in collaboration with the Nova Scotia College of Family Physicians. Together, with tremendous input and guidance from the association’s Policy and Health Issues Committee and the Primary Care Physicians’ Representative Council, DNS and the NSCFP put forward a position that defines the unique role and value of family physicians in the province’s primary health care system.

This is the first time a Canadian professional medical association has published a position paper on the role and value of family physicians. The paper is a product of an extensive environmental scan and research paper that DNS developed to inform the association’s position.