NS temporarily suspends referrals of dying with medical assistance due to “significant backlog” – Halifax | The Canadian News

Nova Scotia Health is suspending referrals for Medical Assistance in the Event of Death (MAID) for 30 days because increased demand has created a “significant delay.”

According to Nova Scotia Health, the program has already exceeded the total number of referrals received in 2020.

“It is our priority to focus on those who are currently waiting to support them through the process. It is important that we are transparent about our situation and the potential for long wait times, ”said Dr. Gord Gubitz, MAID’s clinical leader, in a press release.

“We know that waiting for a MAID evaluation or procedure can be a source of further distress and anxiety for patients, their families and others who support them, and we want to minimize this as much as possible.”

During the temporary wait, MAID’s Access and Resources Team will work to shorten wait times and resume referrals “as quickly as possible,” the statement said.

Nova Scotia Health will also hire a full-time nurse practitioner to help support this work.

Gubitz goes on to say in the statement that if any physician or nurse practitioner who may have temporary or continuing capacity to participate in the MAID process should contact the team at 902-454-0379.

“We can provide training and support, and we need it now more than ever,” he said.

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