Health Care Safety and Quality

Providing Quality Care

Everyone needs to know that safe, quality care will be there should they need it ... for themselves and for their loved ones. Nothing that we do in health care is more important than working to ensure the safest care possible delivered in a setting that provides the greatest benefits to a patient's health.

Health care safety is and always will be a priority for Nova Scotia. We are continually working with our health partners to improve patient safety and become as close to error free as possible.

We now know a lot more about what works to minimize hazards and errors in the health care system than ever before. We know it takes health partnerships to reach the best solutions to reduce the chance of mistakes happening.

There are many players who have a role to play to make sure that we get the right care, where and when we need it.

• Nova Scotia Department of Health
• Nova Scotia Health System
• Health Canada
• Regulatory Bodies
• Nova Scotians

Nova Scotia Department of Health

The Department of Health's mission is, through leadership and collaboration, to ensure an appropriate, effective, and sustainable health system that promotes, maintains, and improves the health of Nova Scotians.

The department

• sets strategic direction and standards for provincial health care
• makes sure quality health care is available
• monitors, evaluates, and reports on health system performance and outcomes
• funds health services through its nine district health authorities and the IWK

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Nova Scotia Health System

The district health authorities, the IWK, and the continuing care sector have responsibility for providing direct care to Nova Scotians.

All of these groups have measures in place to identify and review safety issues and to take action when required.

They are working with health partners and the province on identifying and implementing ways to reduce adverse events.

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Health Canada

Health Canada is the federal department responsible for helping the people of Canada maintain and improve their health. Health Canada strives to improve the health of all Canada's people, while respecting individual choices and circumstances, and therefore seeks to put Canada among the countries with the healthiest people in the world.

In partnership with provincial and territorial governments, Health Canada provides national leadership to develop health policy, enforce health regulations, promote disease prevention and enhance healthy living for all Canadians. It also works closely with other federal departments, agencies and health stakeholders to reduce health and safety risks to Canadians. By making Canadians more aware of dangers to their health, protecting them from avoidable risks and encouraging them to take a more active role in their health, Health Canada fosters a healthier population and contributes to a more productive country.

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Regulatory Bodies

Within Nova Scotia, there are various health professional regulating bodies– for nurses, physicians, pharmacists, and others– who have been legislated the responsibilities of overseeing the safe practice of professionals. They set standards of practice, provide education, investigate complaints, and administer discipline processes.

Complete list of bodies follows:

Board of the College of Licensed Practical Nurses of Nova Scotia ( Licensed Practical Nurses Act ) www.clpnns.ca

Board of the Nova Scotia College of Chiropractors ( Chiropractic Act ) www.chiropractors.ns.ca

Provincial Dental Board of Nova Scotia ( Dental Act )

Nova Scotia Dental Technicians Examining Board ( Dental Technicians Act )

Denturist Licensing Board ( Denturists Act )

Board of Directors of the Nova Scotia Dietetic Association ( Professional Dieticians Act ) www.nsdassoc.ca

Council of the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Nova Scotia ( Medical Act ) www.cpsns.ns.ca

Board of the College of Occupational Therapists of Nova Scotia ( Occupational Therapists Act ) www.cotns.ca

Board of Dispensing Opticians ( Dispensing Opticians Act )

Board of Examiners of the Nova Scotia Association of Optometrists ( Optometry Act ) www.nsoptometrists.ca

Board of the Nova Scotia College of Physiotherapists ( Physiotherapy Act )

Nova Scotia Board of Examiners in Psychology ( Psychologists Act ) www.nsbep.org

Council of the College of Registered Nurses of Nova Scotia ( Registered Nurses Act ) www.crnns.ca

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Nova Scotians

Our health care professionals are working hard to make sure you receive the best and safest health care possible.

You can help, too, by being an active, involved, and informed member of your health care team. People who are more involved with their care tend to do better and stay safer.