Overcrowding at Nova Scotia ERs cause for concern to those with complex health problems

Another 2,500 Nova Scotians have registered for the province’s family doctor waiting list since last month, bringing to total to nearly 40,000 —a concerning figure for those with complex health issues.

If they end up in the emergency room, they’re afraid they’ll have no one to turn to for followup care.

Since his doctor retired three years ago, Roy Lilly has been waiting for a new doctor to become free.

“Being a long-term diabetic, it’s a lot of high blood pressure, neuropathy, which is nerve damage. When I had a family doctor I would see her once about every four to five weeks,” Lilly said.

Share this on X Click to share quote on X: "Being a long-term diabetic, it's a lot of high blood pressure, neuropathy, which is nerve damage. When I had a family doctor I would see her once about every four to five weeks," Lilly said.

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But no one took over his doctor’s practice leaving Lilly, and many others with complex health issues, few options.

“It’s either a walk-in clinic, who has no idea what my history is, they have no idea who I am and what’s wrong with me, or emergency,” he said.

Share this on X Click to share quote on X: "It's either a walk-in clinic, who has no idea what my history is, they have no idea who I am and what's wrong with me, or emergency," he said.

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Dr. Ryan Henneberry, an emergency medicine doctor, says that the growing wait list is a concern for him.

If someone is forced to visit the emergency room but has no family doctor, they’ll likely have no one to followup with.

“The discharge planning for those patients who lack a primary care provider can be complicated and difficult to organize without somebody to correspond with, without somebody to rely on, managing the health concerns in the future,” Henneberry said.

“One could certainly see in the future it being more of an issue, for emergency patients, not having someone to manage that in the community.”

Share this on X Click to share quote on X: "One could certainly see in the future it being more of an issue, for emergency patients, not having someone to manage that in the community."

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Lilly says with his condition, it’s a daily concern.

“It’s just so hard to look at something and say, ya that’s okay,” he said. “In my case, you need a doctor to look at it and say ya, it’s okay or it’s not.”