TWO CAPE BRETON HOSPITALS CLOSING
e province plans to close the Northside General Hospital and the New Waterford Consolidated Hospital as part of plans to ‘reshape and revitalize’ Cape Breton’s health system.
Premier Stephen Mcneil and Nova Scotia Health Authority President and CEO Janet Knox launched the CBRM Health Care Redevelopment Plan at a press conference in Sydney on Monday.
“We have an opportunity to reshape the health-care delivery model in these communities to re ect the reality of what patients need today,” Mcneil said in a press release.
“From greater access to family practices to expanded emergency care, Cape Bretoners will have a revitalized system they can rely on now, and for years to come.”
According to a press release, the hospitals in New Waterford and North Sydney have exceeded their lifespan and cannot be renovated. That is why new, modern community health centres and new long-term care facilities will be built in both New Waterford and North Sydney.
Highlights of the plan include expanding the emergency department at the Cape Breton Regional Hospital in Sydney, doubling the size of the Cape Breton Regional Hospital Cancer Centre, and renovating and revitalizing the Glace Bay Hospital emergency department.
A communitybased paramedic program will also be launched in the CBRM that will see paramedics do home visits and followup visits after hospital discharge to reduce trips to the emergency department, according to a press release on the plan.
A new laundry centre in North Sydney will also be built to replace aging equipment and to continue to serve health-care facilities in CBRM.
As for the community health centres, the province says they will create space for collaborative family practice teams to deliver primary health care in the community.
ey will also o er many of the same services o ered now, like day clinics, blood collection and X-rays, and create space for communitybased services like mental health and addictions.
e new long-term care facilities will have an estimated 48 beds each. is will add about 50 new beds to the entire system.
“With our health needs changing and buildings aging this is a wonderful opportunity to redesign our services to better meet the needs of these communities now and into the future,” Knox said in a press release.
“Our goal with this project is for the people of Cape Breton to receive the right care, at the right time, in the right place.”
Planning for these changes begins immediately, according to the province and is expected to take between nine to 12 months.
Timelines for construction and changes in services will be determined through this planning process.