More, Faster: The Action for Health Build

Location

Central Zone

More beds, more operating rooms, more emergency rooms, more locations


On December 15, 2022, the Government introduced a comprehensive new plan for improving health services for Nova Scotians.

Recognizing the needs of the province’s growing population and challenges within today’s global markets, the new plan focuses on delivering better results sooner by dividing up the original large and complex project for the Halifax Infirmary.

The new approach will deliver the same scope of work but will do so by breaking the project elements into more manageable pieces, and by broadening the range of services in more locations throughout the Halifax Regional Municipality.

This will make it possible to tackle wait lists faster, will make access to care easier, and will enhance healthcare providers’ ability to respond to the individual care needs of patients.

FEATURES OF THE NEW PLAN

Halifax Infirmary

  • A new acute care tower that features 216 beds, 16 operating rooms, an intensive care unit, and a larger emergency department.

Dartmouth General Hospital

  • New emergency department, more beds, and increased capacity for surgeries.

Cobequid Community Health Centre

  • New in-patient services.

Transition to Care Facilities

  • More beds and improved care in the Central Zone.
  • New beds added in Bayers Lake.

Mental Health and Addictions

  • Expansion of the North Star Campus at the Nova Scotia Hospital in Dartmouth.

Victoria General

  • New supports to address failing infrastructure, improve standards of care, and secure vital services to enhance in-patient experience and operating room capacity without interruption.
  • New location for lab services in the MacKenzie Building.

Maritime Heart Health Centre

  • More beds added.

NS Rehabilitation and Arthritis Centre

  • More beds added.

BENEFITS OF THE NEW PLAN

More

NEW

beds


Expanded emergency departments


More operating rooms with increased surgical capacity in the Central Zone.


Reflects the needs of our growing population, both across the province and within Halifax Regional Municipality, which could grow by 29% by 2043.


Gets people out of the Victoria General sooner.


Responsive to different levels of care.


Less disruption to patient care.


Concurrent construction means a greater ability to balance resources between sites including labour, materials, and equipment.


Better for the local construction industry as more Nova Scotians companies will be able to bid for projects.  Under the old plan, three-quarters of the workers would have to come from out of province.


The new plan is comprehensive, integrated, and doable given market challenges.