News release

South Shore Hospital Expansion, Upgrades to Improve Emergency, Patient Care

Health and Wellness

Government is investing $1.5-million to design renovations at South Shore Regional Hospital that will reduce overcrowding and improve patient flow, part of the Better Care Sooner plan to improve emergency care.

Gary Ramey, ministerial assistant for Health and Wellness and MLA for Lunenburg West, made the funding announcement today, Nov. 22, as part of the province's new capital plan to make life better for families.

"The role of the hospital has expanded since it opened 23 years ago," said Mr. Ramey today, Nov. 22. "This strategic investment will help reduce overcrowding, improve patient flow and make the emergency department more comfortable for patients and staff."

The investment will allow planning for modifications at the hospital, including redesigning and enhancing the emergency department. Government is also funding, in 2012-13, a new patient-transfer elevator to address patient safety and privacy.

"Now we will be able to begin the detailed planning we need to move forward with improvements to the emergency department at South Shore Regional Hospital, which has been at the top of our capital priority list for many years," said Alice Leverman, CEO for South Shore Health. "We can now develop a plan that will help us address some of our ongoing challenges linked to the lack of space, inefficient layout, and location of our emergency department. This work complements our ongoing efforts to improve access, flow and wait times for our patients."

The hospital's plan to improve patient flow is consistent with a recommendation by Dr. John Ross, the provincial emergency care advisor who had worked in the South Shore Regional Hospital.

The province's new capital plan will invest millions of dollars to make life better for families. It will create good jobs, grow the economy, and provide better health care for all Nova Scotians. The capital plan invests in projects that are most important to Nova Scotians like emergency rooms, schools, roads and hospital equipment.