N.B. government releases new five-year health plan focused on six key areas

New Brunswick revealed its five-year health plan on Wednesday.

The New Brunswick government has released a new five-year health plan, which it says lays out priorities and sets direction for health-care workers in the province.

In the report, the government acknowledged New Brunswick’s health-care system is “facing critical challenges” and is “stretched thin” with growing pressure on hospitals. It says “transformational change” is needed and the new plan is expected to create a “stronger, more resilient” health-care system.

The plan outlines goals and how progress will be measured in the following six areas:

• primary care
• workforce
• seniors
• mental health and addictions
• acute care
• connected care

“Every New Brunswicker should have access to the care they need, when and where they need it,” said Premier Susan Holt in a statement Wednesday.

“This health plan outlines how we will deliver on our commitments: bringing collaborative care clinics to New Brunswickers across the province; retaining and recruiting the health-care professionals we need; ensuring seniors are able to age with dignity and get choice in their care; and providing timely access to the mental health services that we know are needed.”

The plan sets out several key goals, which include the following:

• ensuring people have equitable and appropriate access to quality primary care services
• a supported and sustainable health-care workforce
• support and resources for seniors to achieve the best possible health outcomes and allow them to age in place
• effective support for mental health concerns, treatment and recovery
• access to surgery when needed
• reduced effects from cancer
• co-ordinated, timely and personalized care through a fully integrated digital health ecosystem

Primary care

The province noted 77 per cent of New Brunswickers have a primary-care provider, but only 34.2 per cent of those people can access the care they need within five days.

It says at least 30 collaborative care clinics will be established in New Brunswick by 2028, which will see every New Brunswicker connected to a health-care team. At least 10 teams are expected to be established by the end of 2025.

Improved access to primary care will be measured by the following:

• percentage of people attached to a regular primary-care provider
• percentage of people who can access timely care from their regular provider
• number of primary-care providers working in teams
• percentage of people visiting regional emergency departments for less urgent or non-urgent conditions

Workforce

The government says 55 per cent of New Brunswick physicians work in solo practice, while 34.9 per cent of physicians and 24.3 per cent of nurses are over the age of 55.

It says it’s rethinking compensation models to improve retention, noting the province issued two retention payments to eligible front-line nurses in 2024 and 2025.

A supported and sustainable workforce will be measured by the following:

• number of health-care and long-term care professionals eligible to enter the workforce
• rate of family physicians, nurses and nurse practitioners entering and leaving the workforce
• percentage of New Brunswickers who receive primary-care services in language of choice

Seniors

New Brunswick says helping seniors live safely and independently at home for as long as possible remains a top priority, as it keeps seniors connected to their communities and reduces pressure on long-term care facilities.

However, it notes a skilled and sustainable workforce, strong home and community-based services, and better coordination within the health-care system is required to meet that goal, as well as making health services easier to navigate.

Improved support for seniors will be measured by the following:

• percentage of seniors requiring Social Development supports receiving care in the community
• percentage of seniors receiving Extra-Mural Program services
• percentage of seniors receiving primary-care services
• number of people on nursing home waitlist
• median number of days hospital stays are extended until home care-services or supports are ready

Mental health

The province says all family health teams will have mental health services available by 2028, allowing mental health to be treated as an essential part of overall health.

Clinicians across disciplines will work together to provide coordinated care, with providers being trained in evidence-based treatment.

The province will measure improved access to mental health services by the median wait times for community mental health and substance use services.

Addictions

The province says it recognizes mental health and addictions “are often deeply connected” so they should be addressed and treated together.

It plans to integrate services to create a “seamless continuum of care” that spans prevention, treatment, recovery and harm reduction.

Children and youth will have access to early community-based interventions that can prevent substance abuse from escalating, while people already living with addictions will have access to a range of treatment options, including detox services, live-in programs and outpatient counselling.

The province says it is developing a new 50-bed addiction treatment facility and exploring other opportunities to increase the number of treatment beds in New Brunswick.

Improved access to addictions support and treatment will be measured by:

• percentage of youth aged 12 to 25 with access to integrated youth services for mental health and substance use
• median wait time from screening assessment to treatment
• median wait time for someone to access live-in treatment until home care services or supports are ready

Acute care

The government has identified three high-impact acute care areas:

• surgery
• cardiac care
• cancer

The new plan aims to maximize operating room time and reduce backlogs and wait-times by extending hours and better scheduling.

The province also plans to introduce access to at-home cancer screening to help identify issues earlier, allowing for faster diagnosis and treatment planning.

Improved access to surgery will be measured by:

• number of surgeries waiting longer than 365 days
• percentage of surgical readmission within 30 days

Better cancer outcomes will be measured by:

• percentage of eligible New Brunswickers participating in screening programs

Improved access to cardiovascular interventions and procedures will be measured by:

• number of Transcatheter Aortic Valve Implantation cases per year
• percentage of patients that accessed interventional cardiology services within the recommended wait times

Connected care

The province says a ”fully integrated digital health ecosystem” are required to provide quality care and connect patients with their health professionals.

It notes digital tools allow hospitals to efficiently transfer patient data, give New Brunswickers more access to their own health information, and help them make informed choices about their care.

New Brunswick will be releasing a Digital Health Strategy in the coming months.

An improvement in “connected care” will be measured by:

• percentage of New Brunswickers who can access their own health record electronically
• percentage of family health service providers and other health professionals who can share patient health information electronically other care settings
• Number of health system data products successfully integrated into a health analytics platform

Community engagement

The province says it has held engagement sessions in recent years and used those insights to develop the core concerns and priorities included in the plan. It says it also sought feedback from key partners.

“We will also continue to engage with New Brunswickers across the province to listen and make sure that decisions and work are shaped by evidence and real-life experiences,” said Health Minister John Dornan.

“By working together, validating our progress, and adjusting our approach when gaps are identified, we can create a health-care system that is more inclusive, responsive and effective for all.”

The last provincial health plan was published in 2021.

For more New Brunswick news, visit our dedicated provincial page.