Nova Scotia’s health authority says it’s making temporary changes to some services across the province as the number of COVID-19 cases grows.
In a release, Nova Scotia Health said surgeries that require admission will be reduced temporarily at Cape Breton Regional Hospital, St. Martha’s Regional Hospital, Aberdeen Hospital, Colchester East Hants Health Centre, Cumberland Regional Health Care Centre, Valley Regional Hospital, Yarmouth Regional Hospital, South Shore Regional Hospital, Dartmouth General Hospital and the QEII Health Sciences Centre.
It said surgeons’ offices will notify patients whose surgeries must be temporarily postponed and will provide as much advance notice as possible.
“However, this situation is changing rapidly and some cases could be impacted with little notice. Efforts will be made to rebook patients who’ve had their surgeries postponed as quickly as possible,” the release said.
“These changes are necessary to build capacity, including beds and staffing, to support COVID-19 response measures.”
During a COVID-19 news briefing Friday, Dr. Robert Strang, the province’s chief medical officer of health, said in the coming days the province is looking at having service reductions to free up beds and resources to accommodate for new COVID-19 patients.
Nova Scotia Health said a limited number of priority surgeries that require admission will still happen for those who need urgent or cancer-related procedures. As well, day surgeries will continue at the affected sites unless further reductions are needed.
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Pre-admission appointments and other surgery-related clinics like surgical consults can continue.
As well, scheduled outpatient care will also be reduced to support staff redeployment in some areas of the province. Outpatient clinics at the QEII and Dartmouth General Hospital will reduce to urgent and emergent appointments next week and patients will be informed of any changes impacting them.
Nova Scotia Health’s mental health and addictions program is not reducing outpatient services, it said. Teams will now provide virtual appointments and are reducing face-to-face services and will look to conduct treatment sessions using primarily virtual means.
“We recognize that some outpatient services must take place in-person. The decision to support or undertake in-person assessment and/or treatment will be based on patient needs. New referrals will continue to be accepted,” the health authority said.
IWK reduces elective surgeries
In a release, the IWK Health Centre said it will reduce elective surgery volumes by up to 25 per cent beginning May 3.
It said that measure will be in place for a couple of weeks.
“These temporary reductions in elective surgeries are necessary to ensure the IWK has the capacity … to continue providing clinical services in anticipation of increased COVID-19 admissions, the potential for staffing to be impacted by community exposures, and to allow staff and physicians to be redeployed to the IWK’s Pandemic Response Unit, testing centre and vaccine clinic,” the release said.
All impacted patients have already been notified, and the IWK will notify any patients whose surgeries must be temporarily postponed in the weeks after.