Premier Susan Holt announces plans to eliminate waitlist for family doctors in the Tantramar area by April 2026 as Maily Lockhard of Horizon Health looks on

Premier Susan Holt has announced plans to add another 1,000 patients this year to the list of 1,650 already being treated at the new primary care clinic next to the Sackville Memorial Hospital.

Holt made the announcement today during a speech to about 40 people gathered inside the new collaborative care clinic.

She added that her government and the Horizon Health Network plan to add the remaining 850 patients on the waiting list for primary care to the clinic’s roster by April 2026.

“We think this is monumental in helping us address the number one goal that our government set and that is to make sure that every New Brunswicker has access to primary care in their community close to home,” Holt said to a round of applause.

“So, we’re looking forward to moving the needle on access to health care, to getting that wait list in this area down to zero.”

Holt also thanked the local people, including members of the Rural Health Action Group who have been pushing for access to primary care since 2023 when two local doctors announced they were closing their practices in Sackville leaving thousands without access to primary care.

A third local doctor also moved his practice to Cocagne, a 45-minute drive from Sackville.

Margaret Melanson, president and CEO of the Horizon Health Network said the health care team at the clinic has grown significantly since it opened in September 2023.

“Today it serves 1,650 patients who have access to a physician, two nurse practitioners, two registered nurses, a licensed practical nurse, three administrative staff to support and a range of allied health professional including a dietitian, a pharmacist, a social worker and a respiratory therapist.”

Janet Hammock descibes her experiences at the new clinic

Retired Mount Allison music professor Janet Hammock spoke about how she and her partner Marilyn Lerch felt when their family doctor closed her practice in Sackville.

“It certainly never occurred to me, never, that I would suddenly, in my 80s, and with my wife also in her late 80s, that we would suddenly find ourselves without a family doctor,” Hammock said, adding that although it took some time for them to be added to the new clinic’s roster, she’s delighted with the service she’s now getting.

“First of all, I don’t have to wait long for an appointment,” she said. “When I arrive at the clinic now, someone comes out to this waiting room to get me and graciously ushers me into the consultation room.”

Hammock added she feels welcome at the clinic and that the staff work together to provide care including a doctor’s referral to a  specialist, as well as scheduling blood tests at the Sackville hospital and arranging an appointment with the dietitian.

“When I leave, I’m handed a paper copy of a prescription, which has already been called into my pharmacy,” she said. “So this Tantramar primary health care centre may be small, but it’s become already a smoothly running, collaborative, team-based care model.”

Tantramar MLA Megan Mitton talking with Premier Holt after today’s announcement

Tantramar MLA Megan Mitton, who attended today’s announcement, said she’s glad there are plans to clear the primary care waitlist in this area by April of next year.

At the same time, however, she expressed concern that Horizon has no immediate plans to increase the hours in the Sackville hospital’s emergency room which is only open from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. seven days a week.

Horizon CEO Margaret Melanson did say the ultimate goal is to restore 24-hour service, but the health network isn’t ready to do that yet.

“Certainly having better access to primary care will take some pressure off of the emergency rooms,” Mitton said, “but we need our emergency room to be open and ready when someone has an emergency.”

She added that people feel mental stress when they can’t count on the ER being there when they need it.

“We do need a concerted effort to recruit [ER staff] and make sure that we have the expertise here to run our ER 24-7,” Mitton said.

To read the government news release on today’s announcement, click here.