Nova Scotia Health is advising that some non-emergency services have been reduced in Eastern, Northern and Central zones due to the ongoing heavy snow in parts of the province and poor road conditions in many areas.
The following service changes outlined below are planned for Monday. Other than separately announced emergency department closures, services not identified below are operating as scheduled.
Patients are asked to consider the nature of booked appointments and whether any non-urgent appointments can be rescheduled. Please do not attempt to travel to a scheduled care appointment if it is unsafe for you to travel.
- Eastern Zone:
- Emergency surgeries only Monday; elective surgical procedures and endoscopies are cancelled.
- Appointments for outpatient lab and diagnostic imaging appointments (X-Ray, MRI, CT, etc.) are cancelled.
- ambulatory care clinics, outpatient clinics, rehab outpatient clinics (including Obesity Care Clinic), and cancer care clinics are cancelled.
- Mental Health and Addictions continues to provide emergency crisis urgent care and inpatient services. Community Mental Health and Addictions (Adult and Child programs) outpatient services will offer virtual care appointments as appropriate. Clients are asked to phone ahead before attending their outpatient clinic appointment.
- Efforts will be made to contact patients directly to reschedule their procedure or appointment.
- Adult Day Programs are closed.
- All Public Health clinics, home visits, or community visits are cancelled.
- Renal dialysis will be provided as scheduled. Patients are asked to phone ahead before their appointments.
- Primary care collaborative clinics and Diabetes Education Centres/Clinics will provide care virtually as appropriate, and patients will be contacted directly.
- The urgent treatment centre (UTC) at Northside General Hospital in North Sydney is open until 4 p.m.
- The UTC at Victoria County Memorial Hospital in Baddeck will be open.
- Northern Zone: (Colchester County, East Hants, Pictou County, and Pugwash areas only.):
- Emergency surgeries only Monday; elective surgical procedures and endoscopies are cancelled.
- Ambulatory care and outpatient clinics will only see urgent cases and patients. Patients will be contacted directly to confirm or reschedule their procedure.
- Non-urgent diagnostic imaging (X-Ray, MRI. CT, etc.) and blood collection appointments are cancelled.
- Cancer care and renal dialysis will continue as scheduled.
- Mental Health and Addictions program will offer outpatient visits virtually where possible.
- Primary care, continuing care and public health will not offer outpatient appointments and will provide care virtually as possible.
- Parrsboro Urgent Treatment Centre (UTC) and Lillian Fraser Urgent Treatment Centre will be closed.
- Cumberland County (Cumberland Regional Health Care Centre/All Saints Springhill Hospital/South Cumberland Community Care Centre/Bayview Memorial Health Centre): Business as usual
- Central Zone:
- Only urgent, emergency and cancer surgeries will proceed on Monday. Surgeons’ offices are contacting other patients to reschedule.
- Many outpatient specialist appointments will proceed as virtual appointments or be rescheduled. Patients will be contacted directly to confirm or reschedule their procedure. If you have travelled to attend a specialist appointment and can safely get to your appointment, you will be seen.
- If you are able to safely travel to your blood collection and diagnostic imaging (X-Ray, MRI, CT, etc.), we will see you. If you are not able to travel safely, we are requesting patients contact us to rebook your appointment. If you booked using the YourHealthNS app or online you can rebook yourself. If you require assistance:
- Call 1-844-I-REBOOK (1-844-473-2665) to rebook diagnostic imaging appointments
- Call 902-473-2074 or 1-833-942-2298 (toll-free) to rebook blood collection appointments
- Cancer care and renal dialysis will continue as scheduled.
- Primary care will provide care virtually as appropriate.
- Non-urgent outpatient appointments such as physiotherapy will be cancelled and every effort made to offer a virtual option or reschedule.
- Mental Health and Addictions program services will continue as scheduled with appointments done virtually where possible.
- Western Zone: business as usual
Visit www.nshealth.ca/temporaryclosures for the most up-to-date closures and service changes.
While the focus Monday will be on emergency and urgent care for some zones, staff are expected to report to work as scheduled and could be deployed to other services to assist with care.
Zone leaders will be assessing service levels throughout Monday and will provide an update.