Nova Scotia is committed to improving access and reducing the wait times for tests, treatments, and services across the province. Since 2004 when First Ministers met and Nova Scotia agreed to the 10-year plan to strengthen health care, we have worked on many fronts to better understand our wait times including:
- getting meaningful, reliable information and using the information to shorten wait lists and eliminate backlogs
- investing in the right equipment
- sharing more information to increase accountability
But Nova Scotia's plan does not stop there. It also involves having the right
- mix of healthcare professionals as close to home as possible
- services in place to meet the growing seniors' population
- measures in place to respond quickly to pressures across the health system
- technology systems in place to create system efficiencies and to help us provide safer, faster care
- primary healthcare services available in communities
We are working closely with our health partners in the District Health Authorities and the IWK to continue to make progress. See our Strategy (PDF: 39k)...
Nova Scotia Joins with Canada's New Government to Announce Patient Wait Times Guarantee. Read the full Health Canada News Realease (PDF: 26k)...
Getting Meaningful Information
Meaningful, reliable wait-times information helps to identify and address bottlenecks in the system. The province, thanks to the Wait Times Monitoring Project, has begun to collect and report comparable wait-time information across Nova Scotia. This project was also instrumental in establishing a provincial wait times advisory committee.
A Measure of Our Health and Health System reports Nova Scotians' views of their own health and their health care system. The report is part of a federal/provincial/territorial initiative that takes a coordinated approach to reporting health information.
(November 30, 2004)
Investing in the Right Equipment
- Better Access to Bone-density Testing
(September 26, 2007) - Halifax Opens Province's Sixth New MRI Unit
(September 13, 2007) - Patients Benefitting From First New MRI
(September 15, 2006) - Province Announces New Health Equipment for Pictou County Area
(March 29, 2006) - Province Announces $950,000 in New Health Equipment
(March 7, 2006) - Investments for Better Health Care
(October 13, 2005) - Province to Purchase Five Top-of-the-Line MRIs
(September 1, 2005) - Province Announces $800,000 in New Health Equipment
(July 8, 2005) - New Technology to Reduce Waits, Improve Access
(June 16, 2005) - Number of MRIs to Double, Reduce Wait Times
(December 13, 2004) - Province Announces $15.8 Million in New Health Equipment
(December 3, 2004) - Renal Dialysis Services Expanded in Capital Health
(March 18, 2004) - Renal Dialysis Services Expanded in Cape Breton
(January 19, 2004)
Sharing More Information
- Progress and Goals Outlined in Report to Nova Scotians
(March 19, 2004) - Working Together Toward Better Care - Ministers' Report to Nova Scotians 2004-2005 (PDF:625K)
- Nursing Strategy Web site
The Right Mix of Healthcare Professionals as Close to Home as Possible
- Nova Scotia Reaches Milestone in Recruiting and Retaining Nurses
(May 8, 2006) - Nova Scotia Releases Health Workforce Action Plan
(December 12, 2005) - New Clinic To Bring Doctors to Yarmouth
(August 18, 2005) - Nurse Practitioner Announced for Shelburne County
(August 18, 2005) - New Assessment Program Addresses Nova Scotia Physician Shortage
(May 17, 2005) - 95 per cent of Nova Scotians Have a Family Doctor
(June 18, 2004) - Department of Health Takes Action on Staffing Health System
(April 5, 2004) - Nursing Strategy Web site
- Family Physicians Accepting New Patients
Services in Place to Meet the Growing Seniors' Population
- Two Cape Breton Long-term Care Homes Get Expansion
(October 20, 2005) - New Long-term Care Facility in Cobequid
(August 10, 2005) - Proposals Sought for Cape Breton Nursing Home Beds
(April 22, 2005) - Northwood to Add 28 Long-term Care Beds
(April 28, 2004) - More Hospital Beds Available in Capital Health Area
(April 5, 2004) - Continuing Care Web site
Health-System Measures
- Cape Breton Regional Emergency Department Renovation
(May 3, 2006) - Nova Scotia Releases Action Plan for Chronic Pain
(August 8, 2006) - Improving Access to Mental Health Services
(October 3, 2005) - New Hospital for Colchester East Hants Gets the Go-Ahead
(September 9, 2005) - Improvements Announced for IWK Health Centre
(August 31, 2005) - Improvements Announced for St. Martha's Regional Hospital
(August 22, 2005) - Lillian Fraser Memorial Hospital to Get Upgrades
(April 14, 2005) - New Money for Mental Health
(April 14, 2005) - New Operating Room for Cumberland Health Authority
(March 29, 2005) - Investments for Better Health
(December 15, 2004) - Good News for Children with Autism
(December 2, 2004) - Faster Access to Rehabilitation for Children and Youth
(May 13, 2004) - More Hospital Beds Available in Capital Health Area
(April 5, 2004) - Province Announces Plan to Manage Hospital Wait Times
(January 27, 2004) - Better Mental Health Care for Nova Scotia's Youth
(January 22, 2004) - Solutions Outlined to Ease Strain at Capital Health
(January 15, 2004)
Technology Systems to create system efficiences and to offer safer, faster care
- Government Invests in Information Technology to Improve Patient Care
(April 18, 2006) - Hospital Information System Links Eight Health Districts
(March 30, 2006) - Information System to Improve Patient Care
(November 20, 2006) - Province Announces $800,000 in New Health Equipment
(July 8, 2005) - Province Announces $1 Million in New Health Equipment
(April 15, 2005) - NShIS Web site
- Telehealth
Primary Healthcare Services Available in the Community
- Evaluation Report Released on Strengthening Primary Care
(November 29, 2004) - Primary Health Care Model for Queens County
(September 14, 2004) - Primary Health Care Web site