FREDERICTON -- New Brunswick is moving forward with healthcare reform consultations that were promised a year ago, when the government scrapped the planned overnight closure of six emergency departments.

"We understand that these changes may cause concerns for some since we all know emergencies can happen at anytime, day or night," Horizon Health CEO Karen McGrath said this time last year.

McGrath was joined by the CEO of New Brunswick's other health authority and the province's health minister in announcing the closure of six emergency rooms overnight.

There were rallies and lots of anger that followed, and a week later, the overnight closures were cancelled.

Instead, public consultations were promised -- but those were delayed because of COVID-19.

"I know we got off to a rough start and it got sidetracked on ERs -- which was a secondary issue," Premier Blaine Higgs said last Friday. "That was not the problem so let's hope we can avoid that this time and we can actually focus on the real issues and what role a community can play in solving them."

The province has launched a new healthcare consultation tour, but this time it will be held virtually.

The health minister has also released a discussion paper, looking at the issues the province is facing, among them:

30 per cent of hospital beds are occupied by seniors who need a nursing home bed;

There are 660 people waiting for a bed, but that could balloon to 2500 in five years if nothing is done;

45 per cent of New Brunswickers can't get an appointment with their family doctor within five days;

53 per cent wait longer than six months for hip and knee surgeries; and,

35 per cent of family doctors are eligible to retire within five years.

"We are interested in finding solutions," said Ron Aiken, the acting mayor of Sackville. N.B."We don't want to just complain about things, so we're interested in finding solutions. But we're not interested in solutions that take away the services we have. Because we think they're valuable for more than just Sackville, essentially, most of southeast New Brunswick."

Aiken says each community is unique, so there can't be a one-size-fits all approach.

Perth-Andover mayor Marianne Bell says she's heard from citizens concerned about the format, especially because on the topic of healthcare, there's lots to talk about.

The healthcare tour starts March 4, focused on the community of Sackville.

There are 15 meetings scheduled -- every Tuesday and Thursday until the end of April.

What comes out of these meetings will influence a five-year plan for healthcare in New Brunswick.