Doctors Nova Scotia (DNS) and the Nova Scotia Department of Health and Wellness (DHW) will begin negotiating in February.
With the current Master Agreement and C/AFP Agreement set to expire at the end of March 2023, the focus of much of the association’s work over the last several months has been preparing for negotiations.
Interest-based negotiation
Following a successful full-day interest-based negotiation training session in December 2022, both DNS and the DHW agreed to initiate interest-based negotiations to secure the best possible agreements for physicians and the health-care system.
Interest-based negotiation is about issues and interests, not personalities and positions. Instead of the typical win-lose outcome of positional negotiation, interest-based negotiation offers the possibility of a win-win outcome, where both parties are able to achieve their goals – in this case, obtaining the best possible outcome for both DNS members and the provincial health-care system. Both the Medical Society of P.E.I. and the Yukon Medical Association negotiated their most recent contracts using this method and found it very effective.
Member engagement
Doctors Nova Scotia conducted an extensive member outreach strategy, including a member survey, targeted group meetings, 15 meetings with physicians in academic departments in Halifax and a series of meetings in communities across the province throughout October and November 2022.
Click here to read summary reports from the community meeting and member survey.
Economic report
Doctors Nova Scotia developed an environmental scan of the economic factors that influence Nova Scotia’s health-care system. Among other things, this report analyzes Nova Scotia’s physician compensation relative to that of other provinces.
Click here to read the report.
Have questions or ideas?
Email negotiations@doctorsNS.com at any time, or contact your physician advisor to share your ideas or discuss issues that important to you.
Noelle Moulaison (Zone 1-Western)
noelle.moulaison@doctorsns.com
Ryan Brown (Zones 2-Northern and 3-Eastern)
ryan.brown@doctorsns.com
Jennifer Girard (Zone 4-Central)
jennifer.girard@doctorsns.com
Kim Oakley (team lead)
kim.oakley@doctorsns.com