Queens General Hospital. Photo Ed Halverson

UPDATED FEB. 28, 2:05 p.m.

Liverpool won’t have local emergency department services available on weekends, but it will have 24-hour service through the week.

Nova Scotia Health announced Thursday that it is introducing “expanded and consistent hours” for the Queens General Hospital emergency department.

Beginning March 1, the ER in Liverpool will be open for 24 hours from Mondays at 8 a.m. to Fridays at 1:30 p.m. It will close on Fridays at 1:30 p.m. until Mondays at 8 a.m.

Nova Scotia Health says the change increases the department’s weekly operating hours from about 35 to 101.5 hours.

Leslie Oliver, the executive director of community and rural health in the western zone for Nova Scotia Health, told QCCR on Friday that the new ER schedule in Liverpool will provide more service for patients.

“This temporary schedule that was developed in collaboration with the emergency staff and physicians really will be tripling the amount of hours that the emergency department is open for our community. This is a positive news story for our community.”

In the past few years, the emergency department at Queens General has been hit regularly with temporary closures.

Oliver says the new schedule will allow for better co-ordination with other hospital departments such as laboratory, diagnostic imaging and pharmacy services.

She said virtual urgent care for certain conditions like prescription refills, urinary tract infections or coughs and sore throats will still be available at the hospital seven days a week from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. A triage nurse will be on duty for that service during those times.

“And a great number of the patients in the community who are presenting for the emergency department they’re actually appropriate for that virtual urgent care stream so we would encourage them to take advantage of that opportunity as well.”

Oliver said there is still a significant nurse shortage in the department.

“We’ve been really committed to our recruitment efforts and that’s not going to change,” she said. “We want to make sure we have Nova Scotia nurses working within our emergency department for sure.”

She said they plan to stick with this schedule until they can hire enough staff to return the Queens General ER to a 24/7 operation. 

“We’re hoping to provide this consistent ongoing coverage for the next several months, hoping to have more success in the recruitment area with more physicians coming on board and more nurses to support the department. We don’t have any plans of going back to an inconsistent coverage schedule. Our goal is to have that Queens emergency department open 24/7, 365 days a year.”

Email: rickconradqccr@gmail.com

Listen to the audio version of this story below

The emergency department at Queens General Hospital in Liverpool will be closed at various times this weekend. (Communications Nova Scotia)

The emergency department at Queens General Hospital in Liverpool will be on reduced hours starting Friday afternoon.

It will be closed:

• From 1:30 p.m. Fri., Jan. 24 and reopen Sat., Jan. 25 at 8 a.m.
• From 1:30 p.m. Sat., Jan. 25 and reopen Sun., Jan. 26 at 8 a.m.
• From 1:30 p.m. Sun., Jan. 26 and reopen Mon., Jan. 27 at 8 a.m.

Virtual urgent care is available at the hospital seven days a week from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m., for urgent, non-life-threatening issues.

Nova Scotia Health urges people to call 911 if you’re experiencing a medical emergency.

The emergency department at Queens General Hospital in Liverpool will be closed on Sunday. (Communications Nova Scotia)

The emergency department at Queens General Hospital in Liverpool will have reduced hours for the next few days.

It will close at 1:30 p.m. today (Friday) and reopen Saturday at 8 a.m. It will be closed again on Saturday at 1:30 p.m., all day Sunday and reopen on Mon., Dec. 30 at 8 a.m.

It will close again on Monday at 1:30 p.m. and reopen Tues., Dec. 31 at 8 a.m.

Virtual urgent care for certain things is available at Queens General Monday to Friday, from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. and on weekends from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. 

The ER at South Shore Regional Hospital in Bridgewater will be open.

Nova Scotia Health advises anyone experiencing a medical emergency to call 911. 

Patients of Queens Family Health can access the same-day clinic through the week for new health problems that require urgent treatment. Hours are based on provider availability. Clinic patients can call 902-354-3322 to book an appointment.

Queens General Hospital. Photo Ed Halverson

The emergency department at Queens General Hospital in Liverpool will be closed until Friday (Aug. 2) at 8 a.m.

Nova Scotia Health announced the temporary closure in a news release on Sunday.

No reason was given for the closure, but in the past officials have blamed staffing shortages.

The ER at South Shore Regional Hospital in Bridgewater will be open.

Patients of Queens Family Health can access the same-day clinic, depending on provider availability, by calling 902-354-3322.

A mobile primary care clinic is scheduled to be at Queens General on Tuesday (July 30) from 1 to 4 p.m., Wednesday (July 31) from 1 to 4 p.m. and on Thursday (Aug. 1) from 9 a.m. to noon.

The emergency department at Queens General Hospital in Liverpool will be closed at various times this weekend. (Communications Nova Scotia)

The emergency department at Queens General Hospital in Liverpool will be on limited hours for the weekend and early next week.

It will be closed on Friday, Saturday (July 20), Sunday (July 21), Monday (July 22) and Tuesday (July 23) at 1:30 p.m. each day and reopen at 8 a.m. the next day.

For example, it will reopen on Saturday at 8 a.m., but close again at 1:30 a.m. and reopen Sunday at 8 a.m.

The ER at South Shore Regional Hospital in Bridgewater will be open.

Nova Scotia Health says that anybody experiencing a medical emergency should call 911.

Patients of the Queens Family Health same-day clinic can call 902-354-3322 to book an appointment through the week for new and emerging health problems, depending on provider availability.

You can also talk to a nurse for general health advice by calling 811, 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

Queens General Hospital. Photo Ed Halverson

The emergency department at Queens General Hospital in Liverpool will be closed at certain times this week.

It closed at 1:30 p.m. on Monday and will reopen Tuesday at 8 a.m. It will close again on Tuesday at 1:30 p.m. and reopen Wednesday at 8 a.m.

Patients of Queens Family Health can call 902-354-3322 to access the same-day clinic, depending on provider availability.

The ER at South Shore Regional Hospital in Bridgewater will be open.

As of June 1, 1,100 people in Queens County, about 10 per cent of the population, were still without a doctor or nurse practitioner. In Bridgewater, 6,382 people were on the waitlist. That’s almost 23 per cent of their population.

Queens General Hospital. Photo Ed Halverson

UPDATED 3:53 p.m. Friday

The emergency department at Queens General Hospital in Liverpool will be on reduced hours from Saturday to Tuesday.

The ER will be closed from 5 a.m. Saturday (July 6) to 8 a.m. Sunday. It will close again at 1:30 p.m. Sunday and reopen Tuesday (July 9) at 8 a.m.

The emergency department at South Shore Regional Hospital in Bridgewater will be open.

Patients of Queens Family Health can access the same-day clinic through the week, depending on provider availability, by calling 902-354-3322.

The emergency department at Queens General Hospital in Liverpool will be closed at various times this weekend. (Communications Nova Scotia)

The emergency department at Queens General Hospital in Liverpool will be closed at 1:30 p.m. on Friday until 8 a.m. Sat., June 29

It will close again at 1:30 p.m. on Sun., June 30 and reopen Mon., July 1 at 8 a.m.

The ER at South Shore Regional Hospital in Bridgewater will be open.

Nova Scotia Health advises people experiencing a medical emergency to call 911. For general health advice, people can contact 811 to speak to a registered nurse 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

Patients of Queens Family Health can call the same-day clinic through the week for new and emerging conditions at 902-354-3322. Hours are based on provider availability.

Queens General Hospital. Photo Ed Halverson

The emergency department at Queens General Hospital in Liverpool will be closed on Wednesday at 1:30 p.m. and reopen Thursday at 8 a.m.

Nova Scotia Health advises people experiencing a medical emergency to call 911.

Patients of Queens Family Health can access the same-day clinic, depending on provider availability, by calling 902-354-3322.

The emergency department at South Shore Regional Hospital in Bridgewater is open.

The emergency department at Queens General Hospital in Liverpool will be closed at various times over this week. (Communications Nova Scotia)

Here is when the emergency department at Queens General Hospital in Liverpool will be closed over the next week:

•     from 1:30 p.m. Wed., May 22, to Thurs., May 23 at 8 a.m.
•     from 5 a.m. to 6 p.m. Fri., May 24
•     from 5 a.m. Sat., May 25 to Sun., May 26 at 8 a.m.
•     from 1:30 p.m. Tues., May 28 to Wed., May 29 at 8 a.m.

Nova Scotia Health advises people with urgent medical needs to call 911. Patients of Queens Family Health can access the same-day clinic from Monday to Friday by calling 902-354-3322. Clinic hours are based on staff availability.

The ER at South Shore Regional Hospital in Bridgewater will be open.

The emergency department at Queens General Hospital in Liverpool. (Rick Conrad photo)

The emergency department at Queens General Hospital in Liverpool will be closed on Friday and Saturday.

The ER will close Friday at 5 a.m. and reopen Sunday at 8 a.m. It will then close again at 1:30 p.m. on Sunday until Monday at 8 a.m.

The emergency department at South Shore Regional Hospital in Bridgewater will be open.

Nova Scotia Health says that people with urgent medical needs should call 911. 

Through the week, patients of Queens Family Health can use the same-day clinic there for new and emerging conditions by calling 902-354-3322.

A drop-in primary care clinic will be at the Liverpool hospital next Sat., April 13 from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. 

Queens General Hospital. Photo Ed Halverson

The emergency department at Queens General Hospital in Liverpool will be closed for the rest of Thursday and will reopen at midnight and be open on Friday.

It will close again for the weekend at 5 a.m. Saturday and reopen on Tuesday at 8 a.m.

Nova Scotia Health is setting up a mobile primary care clinic at the hospital on Saturday from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. It will be at the Queen’s Family Health location.

It is a drop-in clinic, so you don’t have to call ahead.

The emergency department at South Shore Regional Hospital in Bridgewater will be open. Patients of Queens Family Health with new or emerging problems can access the same-day clinic through the week at 902-354-3322.

Queens General Hospital. Photo Ed Halverson

The emergency department at Queens General Hospital in Liverpool will be closed for part of this week.

It will be open until Wednesday at 1:30 in the afternoon and reopen Thursday at 8 in the morning.

It will close again Friday from 5 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Patients of Queens Family Health can access the same-day clinic for certain conditions by calling 902-354-3322.

The emergency department at South Shore Regional Hospital in Bridgewater will be open.

The Mental Health and Addictions Crisis Line can be reached 24 hours a day, seven days a week at 1-888-429-8167.

Listen below to Tuesday’s news update

Kim Masland, Queens MLA and Nova Scotia’s Public Works Minister, says chronic ER closures in her riding are worrisome. (Rick Conrad photo)

By Rick Conrad

Queens MLA Kim Masland says the Nova Scotia government is making progress in its efforts to keep the emergency department at Queens General Hospital open more often, but she admits there’s more work to do.

“I know right now we’ve been open pretty much 50 per cent of the time which is very, very concerning,” Masland said in an interview this week.

“We need to make sure that our ER is open and available to people when they need it. We’re 30 minutes away from Bridgewater, we’re further away to the next ER.”

She pointed to efforts by the Queens General Hospital Foundation and Nova Scotia Health recruiters to bring more health care workers to the area.

“We are making progress. We’ve recruited six (ER and family practice) doctors in the last year which is absolutely fabulous. But it’s a staffing issue. We need to make sure that we can recruit and then retain. So we’ll keep working at it.”

Masland and Nova Scotia Premier Tim Houston were asked about the ER closures during a Q&A session at an event in Liverpool on Wednesday organized by the South Queens Chamber of Commerce.

The ER in Liverpool was closed all last weekend. And this week, it is open most days only from 8 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. It will be closed all day Saturday. According to Nova Scotia Health, the ER was closed for part or all of the day for 13 days in November, 15 in December and 15 in January. A Nova Scotia Health official told QCCR in January that the Queens General ER needs 10 more nurses to be open more often. 

Houston told the crowd Wednesday that the province has made many changes to how health care is delivered. He pointed to the expanded scope of practice for many health care workers, including pharmacists, nurse practitioners and others who are now able to do more of the duties once restricted to doctors.

“Our pharmacies did, since we started opening up this access path, almost 19,000 strep tests over the last three or four months. I can tell you where pretty much every one of those 19,000 people would have went if not for a pharmacy.

“So we’re really trying to mobilize everyone. … Then we can take a little bit of pressure off everyone else. And if we can take a little pressure off everyone else, then we can start to attract more people who want to be part of an innovative, leading edge health care system.”

Houston said that while there’s no quick fix, it’s important that people know that they don’t always have to wait in an ER for treatment.

“So we want to make sure that everyone knows where they can go to access the health care that they need. And it might be the emergency department and we want it to be open, but it doesn’t always have to be the emergency department for everything … when there’s something else that will work just as effectively.”

Masland says the province’s focus is on recruiting more health care professionals to the area.

“We’re very committed to improving health care and that’s where our focus is going to remain.”

Email: rickconradqccr@gmail.com

The emergency department at Queens General Hospital in Liverpool is on restricted hours until next week. (Rick Conrad photo)

By Rick Conrad

The emergency department at Queens General Hospital in Liverpool will be on restricted hours until next Wednesday (Feb. 14).

It will be open most days this week from 8 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. It will be open all day Thursday (Feb. 8) at 8 a.m. It will be closed at 1:30 p.m. Friday, all of Saturday, and reopen Sunday at 8 a.m.

Here is when the ER will be closed this week, according to Nova Scotia Health:

• from 1:30 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 6 and reopens Wednesday, Feb. 7 at 8 a.m.
• from 1:30 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 7 and reopens Thursday. Feb. 8 at 8 a.m.
• from 1:30 p.m. Friday, Feb. 9 and reopens Sunday, Feb. 11 at 8 a.m.
• from 1:30 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 11 and reopens Monday, Feb. 12 at 8 a.m.
• from 1:30 p.m. Monday, Feb. 12 and reopens Tuesday, Feb. 13 at 8 a.m.
• from 1:30 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 13 and reopens Wednesday, Feb. 14 at 8 a.m.

For more information on emergency department hours, visit https://www.nshealth.ca/emergency-care .

The ER at South Shore Regional Hospital in Bridgewater will be open.

Patients of Queens Family Health can call 902-354-3322 for same-day treatment for certain conditions.

According to the latest numbers from Nova Scotia Health, as of January, 1,113 people in Queens County were still looking for a family doctor or nurse practitioner. That’s about 10 per cent of the population.

Email: rickconradqccr@gmail.com

Queens General Hospital. Photo Ed Halverson

UPDATED

By Rick Conrad

The emergency department at Queens General Hospital will be closed at 1:30 p.m. Friday for the whole weekend and reopen Monday at 8 a.m.

Earlier Thursday, Nova Scotia Health said the ER would be closed from Thursday morning (Feb. 1) and reopen Friday morning before closing again Friday afternoon for the whole weekend.

But in an advisory sent after 5 p.m., it amended the ER’s hours, saying it reopened at 4 p.m. on Thursday.

Nova Scotia Health did not give a reason for the temporary closure. The emergency department at South Shore Regional Hospital in Bridgewater will remain open.

The ER at Queens General was closed for part or all of the day for 13 days in November, 15 in December and 15 in January. A Nova Scotia Health official told QCCR in January that staffing is the main reason.

The ER at Roseway Hospital in Shelburne is also open.

Patients of Queens Family Health can call for same-day appointments for certain conditions at 902-354-3322.

If you’re still waiting to be assigned a doctor or nurse practitioner, Nova Scotia Health says you can also access VirtualCareNS.

The Mental Health and Addictions Crisis Line is also available any time by calling 1-888-429-8167.

For information on when emergency rooms are open, visit nshealth.ca/emergency-care.

Email: rickconradqccr@gmail.com

A paramedic takes a patient’s blood pressure. (Communications Nova Scotia photo)

The emergency department at Queens General Hospital in Liverpool will be closed from 1:30 p.m. on Friday (Jan. 26) to Saturday at 8 a.m.

It will close again on Saturday at 1:30 p.m. and reopen Sunday at 8 a.m.

Patients of Queens Family Health can access the same-day clinic by calling 902-354-3322.

The emergency department at South Shore Regional Hospital in Bridgewater is open.

The emergency department at Queens General Hospital in Liverpool. (Rick Conrad photo)

By Rick Conrad

Queens General Hospital. Photo Ed Halverson

By Rick Conrad

Staffing shortages are once again being blamed for ongoing temporary closures at the emergency department at Queens General Hospital in Liverpool.

Darlene Davis, the executive director for community and rural health for Nova Scotia Health’s western zone, said Thursday it boils down to not enough doctors or nurses, despite hiring efforts to bolster the Queens ER in the past year.

“We have seen more frequent closures than we’d like to see in the ED department, certainly,” she said in an interview.

“We’re constantly in a position of recruitment. And it is a challenge to try to keep staff onboarded. People leave for a variety of reasons, so whether it’s retirement or they’re relocating or just looking for other opportunities.”

The ER was closed from Wednesday morning at 11:30 to Thursday at 8 a.m. It closed again later Thursday at 1:30 p.m. and will reopen Friday morning at 8. It will remain open until Sunday at 5 a.m., when it will close until Monday at 8 a.m.

According to numbers provided by Nova Scotia Health, temporary closures affected the Queens General emergency department for 13 days in November, 15 in December, and 10 so far in January. Those were usually closures for part of the day, but some were full-day closures.

Davis said nurses are a key component to keeping the ER open. Queens General needs to hire 10 more in its emergency department alone. She didn’t know how many more doctors are needed.

“We have a significant vacancy rate there. We do add folks and we’ve got people who are leaving at the same time, so the bottom line is we need to continue to put our efforts toward recruitment and that’s our highest priority right now.”

Davis said ER schedules are planned at least four to eight weeks in advance, but they’re addressed on a daily basis.

“We certainly don’t plan to be closed. We plan to be open. And our goal is to provide as much reliability consistency as we possibly can to the community. So we’re striving to fill those shifts every day. Our goal is to be open seven days a week.”

People who need emergency care can go to the ER at South Shore Regional Hospital in Bridgewater, or call 911. 

Patients of Queens Family Health can also access the same-day clinic for certain conditions by calling 902-354-3322.

The Mental Health and Addictions crisis line is available 24 hours a day at 1-888-429-8167.

Email: rickconradqccr@gmail.com

The emergency department at Queens General Hospital in Liverpool will be closed for certain hours this week. (Rick Conrad photo)

By Rick Conrad

The emergency department at Queens General Hospital in Liverpool will be closed for the second time this week.

Nova Scotia Health sent out a news release at noon on Wednesday. They gave no reason for the temporary closures.

The ER closed Wednesday at 11:30 a.m. and will reopen Thursday at 8 a.m. It will close again later Thursday at 1:30 p.m. and reopen Friday at 8 a.m. It will remain open until Sunday at 5 a.m., when it will close until Monday at 8 a.m.

According to numbers provided by Nova Scotia Health, temporary closures affected the Queens General emergency department for 13 days in November, 15 in December, and nine so far in January. Those were usually closures for part of the day, but some were full-day closures.

The emergency department at South Shore Regional Hospital in Bridgewater remains open.

Nova Scotia Health is telling patients to call 911 if they have a medical emergency. Patients of Queens Family Health can also access the same-day clinic for certain conditions by calling 902-354-3322.

The Mental Health and Addictions crisis line is available 24 hours a day at 1-888-429-8167.

Email: rickconradqccr@gmail.com

Listen to Wednesday’s news update below