Does every Nova Scotian really need a family doctor?

It's an issue that touches every Nova Scotian health care.

This month,CBCNova Scotia is taking an in-depth look at the province's doctor shortage, analyzing how it emerged, what's being done to try to fix it and what can be learned from other parts of the country facing a similar challenge.

As part of The Search,CBCis hosting public forums in three communities to talk about health care. The first was Wednesday night in Sydney, at the JoanHarrissCruise Pavilion.

The public forum asked the question:Does every NovaScotianreally need a family doctor?

The three panellistswho took part in Wednesday's discussion were:

• John Malcolm, the former CEO of Cape Breton District Health Authority, who has worked in the health-care system for 30 years.
• Dr. Margaret Fraser, a family doctor with her own practice, and who also takes on shiftsat Cape Breton Regional Hospital.
• Dr. Jennifer Lange, a family doctor who has spent the last 10 years at a collaborative-care clinic in New Waterford.

You can watch a recap of Wednesday's forum by clicking the video below.

CBCNova Scotia is also hosting public forums in Halifax and Yarmouthlater this month. The public is invited to join the discussion in Yarmouth, however our Halifax event is at capacity.

These events will also be live streamed on CBC.ca/NS and CBC Nova Scotia's Facebook page, where we'll be taking questions from the digital audience