From a release:
HALIFAX: Nova Scotians can now see updated healthcare data on the Action for Health website.
All actions outlined in the strategic plan are now underway and the government is making progress on each of the six broad solutions to improve healthcare in Nova Scotia.
“Nova Scotians should be able to see the whole picture when it comes to their healthcare system, including evidence that the changes we’re making are having an impact,” said Health and Wellness Minister Michelle Thompson.
“We know there is still a lot of work to do, but we are seeing progress every quarter. We will continue to make the changes needed to improve our healthcare system for patients and providers.”
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The latest data – from the second quarter of 2023-24, July 1 to September 30 – shows positive results in some areas.
Over the past year, the number of registered continuing care assistants (CCAs) has increased by more than 800.
The increase follows significant investment in the sector, including increased salaries and free tuition for 2,000 Nova Scotians training to be CCAs.
The vacancy rate for workers at Nova Scotia Health and IWK Health decreased for the first time since Action for Health launched in April 2022, falling from nearly 19 per cent to 15.8 per cent.
For the second quarter in a row, the rate of people admitted to hospitals with complex needs that could have been addressed through primary care has decreased. At the same time, visits to more recently added primary care options, including community pharmacy clinics and virtual care, continue to increase.
The Action for Health website is updated quarterly: https://novascotia.ca/actionforhealth/
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Progress on all six of the plan’s broad solutions and their individual action items have been updated. Other highlights from the second quarter include:
— new four-year physician and clinical academic funding agreements between Doctors Nova Scotia and the Province
— a new comprehensive Gender-Affirming Care Policy to ensure transgender and gender-diverse Nova Scotians receive more supportive healthcare
— a new EHS LifeFlight airplane to transport non-critical care patients from Yarmouth and Sydney to Halifax for tests and treatment
— Lunenburg announced as the first site for healthcare worker housing
— an expanded International Graduates in Demand stream of the Provincial Nominee Program now includes paramedics and pharmacy technicians
— the expanded Centre for Rural Aging and Health (CORAH) to provide new hubs to connect seniors with social and recreational programming.
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Nova Scotians can also get data on access to primary healthcare on the Action for Health website’s daily dashboard, such as:
— in October, there were 1,461 visits to mobile primary care clinics, 4,876 visits to urgent treatment centres, 6,792 visits to VirtualCareNS and 4,036 visits to primary care clinics
— everyone on the Need a Family Practice Registry has access to primary care clinics and all Nova Scotians can access virtual care.
The Action for Health website was recently revamped to make it easier to find information about how to get care, the latest healthcare news and an improved data dashboard.
