Health minister's mandate letter outlines N.S. government's ambitious plans for change
CBC
Health Minister Michelle Thompson says that of the long list of items included in her ministerial mandate letter, addressing immediate pressures on the health-care system is where she will focus first.
The mandate letters for Thompson and her cabinet colleagues were released on Thursday.
They include what's expected of them by Premier Tim Houston and each is tasked with putting together a timeline for the work within the next 90 days.
With emergency departments experiencing crushing pressure, staffing levels across the system stretched to the breaking point and surgeries needing to be postponed to create more bed space for inpatients, Thompson said it's clear where she must begin her work.
"Looking at access is very, very important and ensuring that there is a better response, or a stronger response when we have surges in the system," she said in an interview on Friday.
Thompson and Houston begin their four-day tour of the province on Monday to hear directly from health-care workers about their concerns and suggestions. Each of them will lead a team of three people, so they can cover more ground.
Thompson, a former registered nurse and long-term care administrator, said she wants to hear the unvarnished truth from the people working on the front lines of health care.
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