Ethics Nova Scotia Health provides support to all patients, families, volunteers, staff and health care providers in Nova Scotia Health when they need help making difficult  choices or when there is disagreement about what is most important. One way we provide support is though performing ethics consultations.

Four different types of consultation/support requests are addressed by Ethics Nova Scotia Health. Click on the appropriate link to access a request form.

• Do you have an ethics-related question or concern about the active treatment of a particular patient? Request a Clinical Ethics Consultation.
• Do you need help preparing and/or delivering an education session about a topic that has a health care ethics dimension? Request support through Ethics Education.
• Do you need help creating or reviewing a policy with health care ethics elements? Request support through Policy Development and Review.
• Do you need help answering an ethics-related question or addressing an ethics-related, organizational matter that relates to the Nova Scotia Health? Request an Organizational Ethics Consultation. 

Please submit the completed request form to the administrative support person in your region via their confidential administrative email address. If you require assistance, please contact us by phone or email.

We have also developed a Patient and Family Ethics Tool that may be useful when deciding about what is important and what to do. This tool can help if you:

• • Are not sure of the right thing to do.
• • Disagree with someone about what decision to make.
• • Are wondering how to talk with the health care team about what’s important to you or your loved one.

The ethics tool is available in four languages. Access the tool here:
English 
French
Arabic
Chinese

If you are a Substitute Decision-Maker (SDM) you can find more information in our patient and family guide Making Health Care Decisions for Someone Else: Acting as a Substitute Decision-Maker (SDM)