Emergency Health Services (EHS) is hiring 100 more transport operators across the province to handle routine patient transfers. These new, non-paramedic staff will help reduce pressure on the ambulance system and allow paramedics to focus on responding to emergency calls.
“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.”
Currently, there are 80 transport operators who support EHS’s Medical Transport Service and Patient Transfer Units. The new hires will increase the number to 180. Both types of transfer services use specifically designed vehicles staffed by transport operators who have training in first aid, vehicle operations and EHS equipment and have direct radio access to the EHS Medical Communications Centre.
The Medical Transport Service is for low-risk patients who have been assessed and do not require medical care during transport between hospital facilities or home and hospital. Patient Transfer Units are used between healthcare facilities for transfers that are not critical or urgent.
Quick Facts:
— In 2021, EHS responded to 182,000 calls – an average of 500 per day
— About 30 per cent of the calls did not require medical care during transport
Additional Resources:
Mandate letter of the Minister of Health and Wellness: https://novascotia.ca/exec_council/letters-2021/ministerial-mandate-letter-2021-DHW.pdf
Job posting for transport operators: https://jobs.careerbeacon.com/details/transport-operator/1811634
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