Doctors to Vote on New Contract

Health Minister Jamie Muir welcomed the news of a tentative agreement for a new contract with Nova Scotia doctors.

"The Department of Health and the Medical Society of Nova Scotia have been negotiating for more than eight months," said Mr. Muir. "I'm hopeful that physicians across the province will vote in favour of the contract, and that we can build on the progress of the past two years in the recruitment and retention of doctors for our province."

The contract offer is for a three-year agreement, running from April 1, 2001, until March 31, 2004.

"When the last master agreement was negotiated in 1997, it was projected that it would not only slow the outflow of doctors, but lead to an increase for the first time in several years," said Mr. Muir. "Those projections have proven to be true, and I'm confident that the terms of the tentative agreement will continue to make Nova Scotia an attractive place for physicians to practise."

The medical society has sent details of the offer to its members and expects them to take about two weeks to vote on the contract.