New Brunswick has released its long-awaited action plan focused on the primary health-care system.

The plan includes several initiatives aimed at addressing “systemic challenges” in the system.

However, the main focus of the 28-page document is on collaborative or team-based practices rather than solo physicians.

Health Minister Bruce Fitch said team-based practices are a win-win for both patients and practitioners.

“They provide New Brunswickers with the care they need, at the right time and in the right place, from the right provider,” Fitch said in a news release.

“They also offer better work-life balance for health practitioners at a time when we are working to increase recruitment and retention.”

Practitioners will be urged to establish themselves under the team-based Family Medicine New Brunswick model, which was launched in 2017.

It combines innovative compensation and increased administrative support while providing enhanced, multidisciplinary care to patients, according to the release.

The plan also has strategies related to increased communication and collaboration among practices, including the adoption of a provincewide electronic medical records system.