NSNDP

December 20th, 2018

Emergency room closures up for fifth straight year, temporary closures more than double

Halifax -- The 2018 Accountability Report on Emergency Departments shows that the number of emergency room closures continued to increase this year with the number of unscheduled closures increasing by 132 per cent.

“The skyrocketing levels of rural emergency room closures means people simply cannot rely on getting emergency care in their communities,” said Tammy Martin, NDP Health Spokesperson. “The Liberal government has abandoned rural emergency rooms. People see it in their communities and these numbers confirm it.”

The report, which the government is required to submit annually, was released today and shows that ERs in Nova Scotia were closed for a total of over 30,000 hours this year.

“With these closures happening so frequently it creates a backlog at other hospitals and increases offload delays keeping paramedics out of the community for longer,” said Mike Nickerson, IUOE Local 727 President. “Today’s report is further evidence of the crisis in our emergency services.”

  • 30 -