BILL NO. 74
(as passed)
4th Session, 61st General Assembly
Nova Scotia
61 Elizabeth II, 2012
Patient Safety Act
CHAPTER 13 OF THE ACTS OF 2012
The Honourable Maureen MacDonald
Minister of Health and Wellness
First Reading: May 3, 2012 (LINK TO BILL AS INTRODUCED)
Second Reading: May 4, 2012
Third Reading: May 8, 2012
Royal Assent: May 17, 2012
An Act to Improve Patient Safety
and Health Systems Accountability
Be it enacted by the Governor and Assembly as follows:
1 This Act may be cited as the Patient Safety Act.
2 In this Act, "district health authority" means a district health authority established pursuant to the Health Authorities Act and includes the Izaak Walton Killam Health Centre established by the Izaak Walton Killam Health Centre Act.
3 The Minister of Health and Wellness is responsible for the general supervision and management of this Act.
4 (1) A district health authority shall compile and report hand-hygiene adherence rates in accordance with a protocol established by the regulations.
(2) A district health authority shall compile and report other patient-safety indicators prescribed by the regulations in accordance with protocols established by the regulations.
5 (1) The Governor in Council may make regulations(a) establishing a protocol for district health authorities with respect to hand-hygiene adherence, including requirements for district health authorities to compile and report hand-hygiene adherence rates;
(b) prescribing other patient-safety indicators for the purpose of the Act;
(c) establishing protocols for district health authorities with respect to other patient-safety indicators, including requirements for district health authorities to compile and report with respect to those indicators;
(d) governing the form and manner of reporting for the purpose of this Act;
(e) adopting or incorporating by reference, in whole or in part or with modifications, a written standard, protocol, rule, regulation, guideline, code or document as it reads on a date prescribed by the regulations or as it is amended from time to time;
(f) defining any word or expression used but not defined in this Act;
(g) respecting any matter or thing the Governor in Council considers necessary or advisable to effectively carry out the intent and purpose of this Act.
(2) The exercise by the Governor in Council of the authority contained in subsection (1) is regulations within the meaning of the Regulations Act.
This page and its contents published by the Office of the Legislative Counsel, Nova Scotia House of Assembly, and © 2012 Crown in right of Nova Scotia. Created May 15, 2012. Send comments to legc.office@novascotia.ca.
