New N.S. Health website shares estimated ER wait times
A Nova Scotia emergency department physician says a new website providing estimated ER wait times will equip patients with valuable information while navigating health care.
Dr. Jan Sommers, head of the Colchester East Hants Health Centre emergency department, said in an interview Tuesday that residents in need of urgent medical care should never be deterred by long wait-time estimates because “people with life-threatening and other highly time-sensitive issues are typically seen without delay.”
The new portal released Tuesday shares estimated wait times, updated hourly, for 10 of the largest emergency departments in Nova Scotia and reflects what a patient can expect if they are “at the lower end of the triage scale,” Sommers said.
Open wait-time data like this reflects a “shift” towards providing more detailed health information to patients, Sommers said.
“We view our patients as partners in their care, and it’s difficult for them to make choices when they don’t have any information.”
“It’s really intended more for situations where people are perhaps experiencing a barrier to care at other locations and they choose to go to an emergency department because they feel it’s the only option, but their health needs are perhaps not as pressing as what we might typically see” at the ER, she said.
Sommers said the new site will give people insight into what kind of experience they can expect ahead of an emergency department visit, assuming the patient is not presenting with urgent care needs.
Steven Carrigan, director of analytics for Nova Scotia Health, said in an interview Tuesday the website uses a combination of historical wait-time data and current ER patient numbers that are updated hourly.
“If there’s a significant change [of patient numbers] within an hour period, it would be accounted for in the next hourly update,” he said. The data is updated using ER patient registration information tracked in the health authority’s internal system.
Carrigan said this effort is “another step” in the health authority’s ongoing focus on increasing public health reporting.
This wait time website comes after the province released its planned changes to the way emergency departments operate in order to ensure residents with urgent needs are treated quickly. This plan, released in January, followed the death of two Nova Scotia women who waited hours for care.
Sommers said this new website is not among the health authority’s many plans to address wait times, but that it’s about catching up to the fact that “we’re really just living in an information age.”
“When you order a package on Amazon you can get an estimate of its delivery time within several hours. So when seeking health care, which is a very important thing, I think it’s worthwhile to know or be able to anticipate how long you might wait to receive care,” Sommers said.
The website is currently tracking some of the largest emergency departments in the province, but Carrigan said he expects it will be expanded to include all ERs in the province in the coming weeks.
In a statement Tuesday, Nova Scotia’s Department of Health said regardless of the predicted wait times, those with the most urgent need are seen first.
“So, it’s very important that this data does not stop Nova Scotians from seeking the care they need when they’re facing an emergency,” the statement said.
Anticipated wait times are currently available for:
- QEII Health Sciences Centre (Halifax Infirmary site) in Halifax
- Dartmouth General Hospital
- South Shore Regional Hospital in Bridgewater
- Valley Regional Hospital in Kentville
- Yarmouth Regional Hospital
- Colchester East Hants Health Centre in Truro
- Cumberland Regional Health Care Centre in Amherst
- Aberdeen Hospital in New Glasgow
- St. Martha’s Regional Hospital in Antigonish
- Cape Breton Regional Hospital in Sydney
For more Nova Scotia news visit our dedicated provincial page.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Economists say temporary tax cut, relief cheques play into rosier growth picture
The federal government's 'meaty' move to pause federal sales tax on a long list of items and send cheques to millions of Canadians this spring could factor into an improving outlook for growth in 2025, economists say.
NATO and Ukraine to hold emergency talks after Russia's attack with new hypersonic missile
NATO and Ukraine will hold emergency talks Tuesday after Russia attacked a central city with an experimental, hypersonic ballistic missile that escalated the nearly 33-month-old war.
Senior killed in dog attack in northern Ont.
An 81-year-old was killed in a dog attack this week in Bonfield, Ont. Police believe three dogs were involved.
Tracking respiratory viruses in Canada: RSV, influenza, COVID-19
As the country heads into the worst time of year for respiratory infections, the Canadian respiratory virus surveillance report tracks how prevalent certain viruses are each week and how the trends are changing week to week.
Trump chooses Pam Bondi for attorney general pick after Gaetz withdraws
U.S. president-elect Donald Trump on Thursday named Pam Bondi, the former attorney general of Florida, to be U.S. attorney general just hours after his other choice, Matt Gaetz, withdrew his name from consideration.
Britain forked out US$91 million for King Charles' coronation in the middle of a cost-of-living crisis
The coronation of King Charles III and Queen Camilla held in May last year cost British taxpayers £72 million (US$91 million), an amount some have labeled excessive.
Son of Norway's crown princess accused of second rape
The 27-year-old son of Norway’s crown princess has been accused of a second rape just days after he was arrested on suspicion of the same offence.
Woman accused in drowning of girl at Alberta lake had been under house arrest
A bail hearing has heard that a woman accused in the drowning death of a five-year-old girl in an Alberta lake didn't know the child and was supposed to be under house arrest.
Decision expected today in trial for Convoy protester Pat King
A judge is expected to issue a decision this morning in the criminal case against one of the most prominent figures of the 2022 'Freedom Convoy' in Ottawa.