Summary

This bill requires the Minister of Health to create and maintain a public online registry listing family physicians and nurse practitioners in Saskatchewan who are currently accepting new patients. The registry must be established within 3 months of the bill coming into force, using existing ministry resources without drawing from the General Revenue Fund.

Bill 617 would require Saskatchewan's health ministry to set up a public website or electronic system where people looking for a family doctor or nurse practitioner can see which providers are currently taking new patients, along with their contact information. The ministry would have three months after the law takes effect to get this registry up and running. The bill specifies that the ministry must use resources it already has and cannot spend money from the General Revenue Fund to advertise or promote the registry. Right now, finding a family doctor often involves calling multiple clinics or relying on informal networks. This registry would centralize that information in one searchable place, though the bill does not specify how often the information would be updated or how the ministry would verify which providers are actually accepting patients.