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 first proposed for the Halifax Infirmary in 2016.
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
- Up to 216 new beds, 16 new operating rooms, a new emergency department, and new space for cancer and ambulatory care.
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.
- 195 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 than
400
New beds
More emergency departments
More operating rooms with each additional operating room forecasted to increase capacity by 625 surgeries per year, for a total increase of
2,500
surgeries per year 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.
NEXT STEPS
- On May 12, 2023, the Province announced that it has reached an agreement with Plenary PCL Health to start advanced work on the Halifax Infirmary site of the QEII Health Sciences Centre.
- The agreement covers initial work that needs to be done to prepare the site for the acute care tower, which will have 216 beds, 16 operating rooms, an intensive care unit and a new emergency department.
- Crews will begin work to extend the current emergency department, providing flexibility for patient flow during construction. Excavation and the relocation of mechanical and electrical utilities will also be done to prepare the site for the building. Temporary parking options will be created so the Robie Street parkade can be demolished.