The provincial government announced a new app created in an effort to help Nova Scotians have better access to healthcare.

The YourHealthNS app gives Nova Scotians the ability to book appointments on the mobile app. Appointments such as blood tests, X-rays, COVID-19 vaccine shots can all be booked through YourHealthNS. The app also provides access to vaccination records for patients, free same-day virtual care and predicts emergency department wait times.

Anyone with a valid Nova Scotia health card and email address can register to receive virtual care. The app cost the province around $10 million to develop and the government says it is a “one-stop shop” for any healthcare needs.

“We are getting to work to fix healthcare and to save our Medicare system,” Premier Tim Houston says.

The app is now available but patients will still need a referral from a doctor before booking appointments such as blood tests and X-rays.

“We will continue to iterate, we will get feedback, we will improve, we will expand and [the app] will grow,” Scott McKenna, chief information officer for Nova Scotia Health and IWK Health says. 

YourHealthNS will offer Nova Scotians two free virtual health sessions per year, regardless of whether they have a family doctor. For those who don’t have a primary caregiver, Houston says, “This will mitigate that stress.”

Tara Sampalli, senior director of Implementation Science and Evaluation and Global Health Systems Planning and Nova Scotia Health, says this should not impact the capacity of the virtual care that is already available to Nova Scotians. 

But Zach Churchill, leader of Nova Scotia’s Liberal party says, “people don’t need apps, they need doctors.” Houston says the provincial government is also looking at long term solutions for healthcare.

“I mentioned the investments in health care facilities, investments in long term care beds and the new medical school campus at CBU will make a difference over the medium to long term.”

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