Nova Scotia Health Authority is moving to a summer nursing schedule for its
emergency departments in Sydney, Glace Bay, North Sydney and New Waterford to
ensure residents can continue to access the care they need.

As part of the schedule, eight experienced emergency nurses from the community
hospitals and the New Waterford Mobile Care Team (MCT) are being temporarily
reassigned to the Cape Breton Regional Hospital’s emergency department. The
Regional Hospital is the area’s main referral and trauma centre and reassigning the
nurses will ensure its emergency department remains open 24/7.
Experienced emergency registered nurses (RNs) will also remain at the three
community emergency departments to ensure people get the care they need in the
Glace Bay, North Sydney and New Waterford areas.

While the RNs with the New Waterford MCT are reassigned, paramedics with
Emergency Health Services (EHS), who work in New Waterford, will link with the New
Waterford Collaborative Emergency Centre (CEC), to make appointments for
patients who need same or next day follow-up with a primary care provider. These
may be patients who do not need ambulance transport to hospital. EHS is also
adding additional ambulance coverage in urban Cape Breton seven nights a week
for the summer.
As well, New Waterford’s daytime CEC/Emergency Department hours remain the
same. It is available Tuesday to Saturday from 7 a.m. – 5 p.m. Enhanced daytime
access to primary health care is available most Sundays and Monday to Friday from
8 a.m. – 6 p.m., through the nurse practitioner clinic. The regular family physician
office hours remain unchanged.