BILL NO. 136

(as introduced)

1st Session, 64th General Assembly
Nova Scotia
71 Elizabeth II, 2022

 

Private Member's Bill

 

Collaborative Emergency Centres Act

 

Susan Leblanc
Dartmouth North

First Reading: April 5, 2022

Second Reading:

Third Reading:

 

An Act Respecting
Collaborative Emergency Centres

WHEREAS collaborative emergency centres are an innovative solution to the ongoing problems that have become a chronic feature of many emergency departments at hospitals located throughout Nova Scotia;

AND WHEREAS among those problems are frequent closures of emergency facilities and reduced availability of primary care appointments;

THEREFORE be it enacted by the Governor and Assembly as follows:

1 This Act may be cited as the Collaborative Emergency Centres Act.

2 In this Act,

(a) "collaborative emergency centre" means a community-centred form of health care including a primary health-care team, the capacity to provide urgent care and the capacity to provide emergency care to patients through emergency health services and transfer to an appropriate hospital facility;

(b) "Minister" means the Minister of Health and Wellness;

(c) "provincial health authority" means the provincial health authority as defined in the Health Authorities Act.

3 Subject to Section 5, the provincial health authority shall establish before the date established by the regulations a collaborative emergency centre at each hospital in the Province that does not have a full-service emergency room.

4 (1) Subject to subsection (2), the Minister shall make regulations establishing the date before which a collaborative emergency centre must be established at each hospital in the Province that does not have a full-service emergency room.

(2) Subject to Section 5, the date before which a collaborative emergency centre must be established at each hospital in the Province that does not have a full-service emergency room must not be later than April 1, 2024.

(3) The exercise by the Minister of the authority contained in subsection (1) is a regulation within the meaning of the Regulations Act.

5 The money required for the purpose of this Act must be paid out of money appropriated for that purpose by the Legislature.

 

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