HALIFAX -- The Nova Scotia government says family doctors took nearly 900 new patients in the first month of its incentive program.

The $6.4 million program encourages doctors to accept patients from the provincial wait list by offering them a one-time $150 bonus per patient.

The province says 177 doctors from all corners of the province have so far taken on 882 new patients.

The wait list stood around 44,000 in March.

The program was part of nearly $40 million in funding recently announced for family doctors, including $13.9 million for pay hikes.