Canadian health work force needs tens of thousands of additional providers, study finds

Canada needs tens of thousands of additional health care workers, including nearly 23,000 family physicians, says a new federal study that predicts the situation will only worsen in the next decade if action is not taken.The report released last week, which looks at education, training and distribution of the health work force, was completed by Dr. Geneviève Moineau, the chief medical work force adviser at Health Canada.The shortage of primary care providers in Canada is a major concern for Canadians who find themselves without family doctors and access to other health care providers, such as nurse practitioners. Last fall, a report released by the Canadian Institute for Health Information said that more five million Canadian adults struggle to access primary care.