Achi news desk-
New Brunswick is now accepting patients from Prince Edward Island who need vascular surgery, after Nova Scotia decided it would no longer accept those patients.
It is unclear why Nova Scotia made the decision.
In a statement, Nova Scotia Health said at one time, the care of these patients was shared by New Brunswick and Nova Scotia, but after a period of time when all cases were seen in Nova Scotia, their care has now been changed to New. Brunswick by agreement of the three provinces.
“New Brunswick didn’t have the capacity or the ability to provide this care for a while and now that they do, PEI patients can receive the care they need closer to home by being seen in that province,” he said. spokesperson in an emailed statement.
Sean Hatchard at the New Brunswick Department of Health said the change came after PEI learned it would no longer be able to send these patients to Nova Scotia several months ago.
“[P.E.I.] apply to New Brunswick for support. Several months ago, the provinces signed a memorandum of understanding that said New Brunswick would provide emergency/emergent vascular surgery services, on a case-by-case basis, to patients from PEI,” Hatchard said.
Since then, New Brunswick has been treating one or two PEI patients a week. People who need vascular treatment could be suffering from aneurysms or blockages in large arteries, which can threaten limbs. The waiting time for the surgery in New Brunswick can vary from two months to over a year.
Hatchard said discussions between the province, health authorities and the NB Medical Society are ongoing on the matter.
It is certainly not unusual for patients from neighboring states to receive treatment across the region.
Dr. Paula Keating says the New Brunswick medical community wants to help, but she’s heard frustration among some surgeons that the change happened quickly, and they weren’t well consulted.
“The decision was initially made without their input, to the best of my knowledge and so I hope that going forward they will be consulted in their concerns and their opinions and their expertise,” he said.
He also confirmed that there would be a hybrid operating room at Dr. Regional Hospital. Everett Chalmers helps with the backlog of patients requiring multiple surgical procedures.
Over the past six months, Fredericton area doctors have talked about the need for a hybrid OR They said the space was available and the Chalmers Institute was willing to raise money for the equipment – but ultimately a decision was made to install the specialized OR inside. Saint John, by a committee chaired by the health minister.
Dr says Keating that she is concerned that these decisions will cause waiting times to increase.
“There is only a certain amount of operating room time, nursing and anesthesia resources available to support surgeries that may need to take place,” he said. “And we already know that patients wait too long in many cases for necessary surgical procedures.”
CTV Atlantic reached out to Health PEI for this story, and has not yet received a response.
