Emergency Health Services is hiring 100 non-paramedics to transport patients around Nova Scotia
The goal is to ease the pressure on paramedics, freeing them up to respond to emergency calls faster.
“We recognize the pressure the Emergency Health Services system is under and how this impacts patients, paramedics and the delivery of emergency care,” said Michelle Thompson, Minister of Health and Wellness. “Reducing our reliance on ambulances to transport non-critical or non-urgent patients was a recommendation of the 2019 Fitch Report and will mean more ambulances will be available to respond to emergencies.”
Right now, there are 80 transport drivers supporting EHS’s Medical Transport Service and Patient Transfer Units. The new hires will bring that number to 180.
Transport operators are trained in first-aid, vehicle operations and EHS equipment. They’ll also have direct radio access to the EHS Medical Communications Centre.
Medical Transport services are reserved for low-risk patients who’ve been assessed and don’t require medical care during the trip.
In 2021, EHS responded to 182,000 calls — or about 500 per day. Of those 30 per cent didn’t need care during transport.
