Why There Are Waits

Many factors contribute to wait times:

  • Increase in services
    More people are seeking complex care for more than one condition. In Nova Scotia, one in seven people is over the age of 65. In fact, by 2020, we estimate that one-third of Nova Scotians will be seniors.

    People are living longer which means more people are seeking medical attention. There are also more people with multiple ailments such as high blood pressure, heart problems, and joint problems, all requiring medical attention. This means more tests, treatments, and services per person.

  • Increasing rates of illness and chronic conditions
    image: a patient sees a doctor
    Nova Scotia has the highest rate of death from cancer and the second highest rate of diabetes in the country. People with ongoing illness or chronic conditions typically need more care. Recent reports show that Nova Scotians have the second highest rate of obesity in the country. Obesity can lead to a number of ongoing health problems, such as the need for hip and knee replacements, an area with a high wait list.
  • Increasing variety of services available
    Today we offer more health services than ever before. New technologies, tests, and treatments are always coming on stream. But some technology is expensive. This makes it challenging to offer all health tests, treatment, and service options across the province.

  • Keeping rural services staffed
    image: a nurse stands by beds
    Finding and keeping the right mix of health-care professionals across the province is difficult. For example, when we increase the number of MRI machines in the province, we must also increase the number of staff who can operate the machines. Getting and keeping health-care professionals is particularly difficult in rural Nova Scotia.
  • Keeping equipment working
    image: staff operates medical equipments
    Equipment breaks down. Even with the best maintenance programs and ongoing funding, diagnostic equipment may be unexpectedly unavailable. Scheduled tests must be rescheduled. This causes a ripple in the system that affects the time others wait for the same diagnostic test.
  • Getting standardized information
    image: traditional documents
    A first step to improving wait times is getting accurate information on wait times for tests, treatments, and services across the province. We are implementing a new way to collect information so that we can compare what is happening at various locations. This will help us decide where to put our resources.