News release

Province Marks HealthLink 811 Anniversary

Health (to Jan. 2011)

From coughs to insect stings, more than 100,000 Nova Scotians got advice over the phone and on the Internet from registered nurses during the first year of HealthLink 811.

Of those calls, more than 61,000 had symptoms that required immediate assessment and followup care instructions. About 40 per cent of those callers, or 24,000 people, did not need to go to their physician or local emergency department because they were provided self-care advice through HealthLink 811.

"The HealthLink 811 program is one way government is helping create better healthcare for Nova Scotians and their families in every region," said Maureen MacDonald, Minster of Health. "No matter what the question or the time of day, by calling HealthLink 811, Nova Scotians are taking an active part in managing their health."

"I was really pleased with the advice I got from 811," said Jeff Roach of Halifax. He called the service last year when experiencing flu-like symptoms. "They advised me to stay home and rest which saved me from going to the doctors office or the hospital for the same advice."

HealthLink 811 is a health advice service available from any phone number registered in Nova Scotia. Calls are answered by registered nurses who are based in the province. They provide information by phone, fax, mail, web or email, and also refer callers to provincial or community-based health services.

"Dialing 811 ahould be a first resort for anyone who is unsure what to do about their health concern instead of going to their local emergency department," said Ms. MacDonald. "HealthLink 811 staff can directly link with 911 and poison control in the event the caller was unsure and did not call either directly."

Service is available 24-hours a day, seven days a week in the caller's language of choice through a translation service. On average, Nova Scotians make 250 calls each day.

Nova Scotians calling 811 in the past year most frequently sought advice on:

  • fever for patients over 3 months old
  • vomiting/diarrhea in children
  • abdominal pain
  • flu-like symptoms with cough, H1N1
  • bites and insect stings

Another feature of HealthLink 811 system is an ability to increase capacity during events that affect the health care system, such as a pandemic.

Dr. Robert Strang, Nova Scotia's chief medical officer of health said the service was invaluable during the recent H1N1 pandemic.

"The 811 system was an effective way to ensure Nova Scotians had access to reliable and timely information about the pandemic and how to manage their symptoms," said Dr. Strang. "It is a vital part of the health system that can expand to meet significant events like a pandemic or other community health challenge."

During the H1N1 peak, HealthLink 811 handled more than 4,000 calls in one day and during October, November and December, processed about 1,000 calls a day on average.

The province promoted HealthLink 811 after the launch and during the pandemic. Plans are underway to work with organizations, like Doctors Nova Scotia to further increase awareness this year.