Temporary urgent treatment centre opening at Victoria County Memorial Hospital

A temporary urgent treatment centre (UTC) will open at Victoria County Memorial Hospital in Baddeck early next month.

The temporary Victoria County UTC will provide care, by appointment only, for people with unexpected, non-life-threatening health concerns that require same or next day treatment. Some examples include simple fractures, sprains, earaches, minor cuts and mild abdominal pain. The centre will be available to people with or without a family doctor or nurse practitioner.

Starting Tuesday, Oct. 11, the Victoria County UTC will be open six days a week (Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays) from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Hours are subject to change on holidays. Appointments will only be available by phone – no walk-ins. Patients can book appointments starting at 8 a.m. on Oct. 11 by calling 902-295-2983. When people call, they will be assessed by a nurse to determine if they will be scheduled for an appointment, either later that day or the next available day.

“Having a temporary UTC at Victoria County Memorial Hospital will allow us to provide consistent access to care so people will know where and when to go for care. It also provides a more sustainable and balanced workload for our staff and physicians in Baddeck,” said Andrew Heighton, director of integrated health – rural sites in Nova Scotia Health’s Eastern Zone. “The move to a UTC is only temporary and we do plan to transition back to an emergency department once our staff and physician levels are more stable within the zone.”

The temporary Victoria County UTC differs from an emergency department in that it will provide care for non-life-threatening injuries and illness; it will not receive ambulances and it will only see patients by appointment, no walk-ins. Patients who require emergency care should continue to call 911.

Nova Scotia Health will be hosting a public education session about the Victoria County UTC on Wednesday, Sept. 28 at Hydrofoil Hall at the Alexander Graham Bell National Historic Site, 559 Chebucto Street, Baddeck from 6 – 8 p.m. Registration for the event is required to adhere to Nova Scotia Health’s COVID-19 guidelines. These guidelines include social distancing, wearing a non-medical mask and good hand hygiene. To register, visit https://www.eventbrite.ca/e/victoria-county-memorial-hospital-informatio.... The session will be recorded and made available online for people who are unable to attend. Additional sessions may be scheduled.

This is the second UTC to open in Eastern Zone. The Northside UTC opened at Northside General Hospital in North Sydney in November 2021.