SASKATOON — The Saskatchewan NDP continued its attack on what it says is the government’s continued inaction on issues residents face daily, with Health Shadow Minister Meara Conway and Rural and Remote Health Shadow Minister Jared Clarke pointing to new polling data showing the province’s health-care system has deteriorated over the past 15 years.
The comments followed the release of new data by pollster Angus Reid on Thursday, Feb. 5.
Both MLAs said Saskatchewan’s rapid population growth, combined with years of what the opposition calls government inaction, is pushing access to family doctors to a breaking point. They said the poll results confirm what residents across Saskatchewan have been reporting for years, with the Saskatchewan Party-led government failing to invest in primary health care to match population growth.
Conway and Clarke, who represent Elphinstone-Centre and Walsh Acres, held a joint news conference outside the St. Paul’s Hospital entrance the same day the Angus Reid data was released. Conway highlighted findings showing that 63 per cent of Saskatchewan respondents reported having no family doctor or difficulty accessing one, placing the province last and below the national average.
Other results from the Angus Reid poll showed that 63 per cent of Saskatchewan respondents are either not confident or not very confident they would receive timely health care in a medical emergency. Another 52 per cent who require a specialist appointment said it would be impossible, very difficult or challenging to schedule one, while 71 per cent said the quality of health care has deteriorated over the last 10 to 15 years.
“This data makes it clear that Saskatchewan is not just facing challenges like everywhere else in Canada, and we are consistently ranking at the bottom,” said Conway. “Our population has been growing, something this government regularly celebrates, but there has been no serious plan to build health-care capacity alongside that growth.
“The real answer is to deliver big, bulk change and a robust public health-care system,” she added. “You need to be taking the experiences and wisdom of health providers and patients, and this government is not doing so. We will continue this work on our big, bold change in health care through consultation, and we look forward to releasing the results of that conversation.”
Clarke said the family doctor shortage is felt most acutely in rural and remote communities, where residents often cannot rely on local hospitals remaining open or on having physicians available close to home. As a result, he said, patients are forced to seek care in cities like Saskatoon, increasing pressure on emergency departments.
“The survey released this morning laid bare the disastrous record of [Premier] Scott Moe,” said Clarke. “He has driven health care into the ground. Health care in Saskatchewan is at its worst now as it has ever been.
“We hear this from people in rural Saskatchewan every day: there is no doctor available close to home,” he added. “That’s frightening for families, seniors and parents with young children, and it’s the direct result of 18 years of failure to fix health care.”
Conway and Clarke said demographic pressures, including population growth and an aging population, have been known for years. They rejected the government’s argument that Saskatchewan’s struggles are unavoidable because similar issues exist elsewhere in Canada, noting the province’s consistently poor national rankings. They said worsening access to family doctors is not inevitable, but instead requires decisive action and structural reform.
Government response
In a statement, the Ministry of Health said it remains committed to ensuring residents have access to a primary health-care provider closer to home by the end of 2028. The ministry emphasized Saskatchewan has one of the best physician compensation rates in the country, including incentives for rural practice.
“The number of licensed physicians in Saskatchewan increased 80 per cent between 2007 and 2025 — an increase of 1,400 doctors,” the statement said. “This includes a 62 per cent increase in general practitioners and a 103 per cent increase in specialists.”
The ministry said its Health Human Resources Action Plan includes expanded medical residency seats, a new mentorship and support program to address retention, and increased Saskatchewan International Physician Practice Assessment placements, adding 338 doctors to the province.
It also noted that since November 2025, the ministry has entered into 22 contracts with nurse practitioners for longitudinal primary care, improving access for an estimated 17,000 to 19,000 residents. Of those, 74 per cent are in rural or regional communities.
The ministry added that undergraduate medical seats at the University of Saskatchewan have increased to 108, while residency seats have expanded from 140 to 150 annually. Further expansion of family medicine training in the northeast is set to begin in July 2026.
As part of strengthening primary care, the ministry said the provincial Innovation Fund is supporting 28 physician-led clinics to test team-based care approaches. The fund has helped create more than 56 full-time equivalent positions, including nurses, nurse practitioners, social workers, pharmacists and other clinical staff.
“Through these measures, our government remains focused on strengthening health care for patients today and into the future,” the ministry said.
