Nova Scotia Health says the number of people on the province’s Need a Family Practice Registry continues to decline.

As of April 1, there were 61,947 Nova Scotians on the registry.

That is down from 63,221 people a month earlier, a drop of 1,274.

Nova Scotia Health says that means 5.7 percent of the population is currently waiting for a family doctor or nurse practitioner.

The health authority has also introduced a new public reporting format for the registry, breaking down data at the provincial, zone and community health network levels.

The next update is expected in early May.