Progress and Goals Outlined in Report to Nova Scotians

Nova Scotians who need health-care services have access to more doctors and more nurses, new community-based health programs and are experiencing shorter wait times. The findings are captured in the health ministers' first annual report to Nova Scotians on the province's health-care system.

The report, titled the Ministers' Report to Nova Scotians:
Confident Change for Quality Care, is a follow-up to the 2003 Your Health Matters plan. Your Health Matters focuses on health promotion, shorter wait lists, seniors' care and health services in communities. Progress in these key areas is highlighted in the ministers' report.

"When we released Your Health Matters, we committed to updating Nova Scotians on improvements and challenges in the health-care system," said Mr. MacIsaac. "I'm very proud of the progress we've made over the past year amidst various challenges. This report will provide Nova Scotians with the opportunity to see what we're doing to improve the health-care system today and how today's successes fit into our vision for the future."

The report to Nova Scotians highlights the progress made in the last year. Some of the highlights include: more doctors and nurses are now working in Nova Scotia -- last year at least 46 new physicians were recruited through the health department's recruitment office; there are 156 more registered nurses at the beginning of the 2004 licensing year than the previous year; an additional 91 long-term care beds were added in the province in the past year.

There have also been improvements in wait times. The $5 million invested by the province in a new cardiac catheterization (cath) lab and additional surgery capacity at the QEII Health Sciences Centre has ensured cardiac care wait times are well within national standards. A 10-point plan was announced in January 2004 to address wait times at the QEII emergency department, and additional resources were announced for orthopedic surgery in Halifax and New Glasgow. The Department of Health has also committed to acting on the recommendations of the Wait Time Monitoring Project Steering Committee to implement standardized, provincewide wait time information over the next five years.

The last year has also seen more community mental health resources. In 2003, a new intensive community-based mental health treatment team for children and youth was established in Cape Breton; in 2004, a new treatment centre for youth with severe and persistent mental health or behavioural problems was opened in Halifax.

"We know that changing our overall health status will take years -- a full generation perhaps," Health Promotion Minister Rodney MacDonald said. "People need to choose healthier lifestyles, while government needs to ensure that health is considered in all decisions. And we are. There are many challenges that affect us all, but there is a real desire to work together to achieve a healthier province."

The changes being introduced into the health-care system are to ensure quality care and to keep people healthy. That means having the right mix of health-care professionals across the province; access to the right services in a timely manner, as close to home as possible; and ensuring standards, policies and guidelines are in place and being used consistently.

To assist with planning, the province has committed a seven per cent funding increase for district health authorities for the next three years.

"We need that same guarantee of predictable funding from the federal government, not only to expand what we offer, but more importantly, to sustain what we have now," said Mr. MacIsaac. "This is critical as we will continue to face challenges in the health-care system."

Nova Scotia's health budget is $2.2 billion. Every hour, $250,000 is spent on health care in Nova Scotia. The $60 million in one- time additional funding announced by the federal government, for example, would cover only 240 hours or 10 days of health care in Nova Scotia.

The report, released today, March 19, will be distributed to Nova Scotians through daily newspapers on March 27. It is available on the department's website at www.gov.ns.ca/health .