Seeking other medical care or consultation

Virtual Urgent Care

Available

Varies by location. Appointments are walk-in only and cannot be booked in advance.

Typical Wait for Access to Care

1-3 hours

Nova Scotia Health is offering a virtual option for people coming to the hospital with urgent, non-life-threatening health issues. Virtual Urgent Care is not a replacement for the local emergency department but will be particularly helpful during times when the local emergency department is temporarily closed.

Receiving urgent care virtually is simple, safe and confidential. At times when virtual urgent care is offered, patients will be assessed by on-site triage staff and register as usual.

Some examples of what may be able to be seen through a virtual appointment include:

prescription refills
sinus congestion
coughs and sore throat
urinary tract infections
skin concerns; bites and stings
mild/ moderate aches and pains
other conditions as assessed by your healthcare provider

You can find locations and hours of operation here.

Urgent Treatment Centre in Western Zone

Available

Varies by location. Appointment required.

Typical Wait for Access to Care

Within 48 hours

Urgent Treatment Centres (UTC's) provide access to care for those with unexpected, non-life-threatening health concerns with appointments offered within one to two days.

Appointments are required and can be made by calling the Annapolis Community Health Centre (Annapolis Royal) at 902-532-4011

Urgent Treatment Centres in Northern Zone

Available

Varies by location. Appointment required.

Typical Wait for Access to Care

Within 48 hours

Urgent Treatment Centres (UTC's) provide access to care for those with unexpected, non-life-threatening health concerns with appointments offered within one to two days.

Appointments are required and can be made by calling the numbers below:

Lillian Fraser Memorial Hospital (Tatamagouche) - 902-657-2385
South Cumberland Community Care Centre (Parrsboro) - 902-254-2540 option 1

Urgent Treatment Centres in Eastern Zone

Available

Varies by location. Appointment required.

Typical Wait for Access to Care

Within 48 hours

Urgent Treatment Centres (UTC's) provide access to care for those with unexpected, non-life-threatening health concerns with appointments offered within one to two days.

Appointments are required and can be made by calling the numbers below:

Northside General Hospital (North Sydney) - 902-794-8966 or attend in person
Victoria County Memorial Hospital (Baddeck) - 902-295-2983

Mobile Primary Care Clinics

Available

Varies. Pop up clinics.

Typical Wait for Access to Care

Same day

Mobile Primary Care Clinics can only address non-urgent, low acuity health issues and is not an emergency service. Care is provided using a team approach, which includes nurse practitioners and family physicians. Patients will be seen in a clinic environment.

Some clinics require appointments and others do not. You can find the scheduled locations and access information for upcoming Mobile Primary Care Clinics here.

Primary Care Clinics

A primary care clinic provides short-term primary medical care for people on the Need a Family Practice Registry.

Your appointment may be provided in-person or virtually depending on your needs and the resources available at each clinic.
Primary care clinics do not offer walk-in services. All appointments must be pre-booked, and are for people who do not have a family doctor or nurse practitioner.

You can find the list of clinics and contact numbers here.

After Hours Clinics

Available

Hours vary by location

Typical Wait for Access to Care

1 week

Nova Scotia Health offers limited After Hours Clinics that provide non-emergency care to people with or without a family doctor or nurse practitioner during weekday evenings and on weekends.

Patients must book appointments by calling the clinic. You can find the list of clinics and the contact number here.

No walk-in patients are accepted.

Urgent Treatment Centres in Central Zone

Available

Varies by location. Appointment required.

Typical Wait for Access to Care

WIthin 48 hours

Urgent Treatment Centres (UTC's) provide access to care for those with unexpected, non-life-threatening health concerns with appointments offered within one to two days.

Appointments are required and can be made by calling the numbers below:

Eastern Shore Memorial Hospital (Sheet Harbour) - 902-885-2554
Musquodoboit Valley Memorial Hospital (Middle Musquodoboit) - 902-384-2220

VirtualCareNS

Available

6 days a week. Closed on Saturdays.

Typical Wait for Access to Care

2-8 hours

VirtualCareNS provides Nova Scotians with free, online visits with a primary care provider (doctor or nurse practitioner).

There are now two options for virtual care:

Option 1: VirtualCareNS for Nova Scotians on the Need a Family Practice Registry until they are placed with a permanent family practice.

Option 2: NEW - VirtualCareNS for Nova Scotians with a Primary Care Provider. Through this pathway, patients are limited to 2 free visits per year on Maple.

811

Available

24 Hours a day, 7 days a week

Typical Wait for Access to Care

5 minutes for intake*

Call 811 to speak with a registered nurse for health care advice, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Also, there is information on more than 500 health topics at: 811.NovaScotia.ca.

*During busy times a nurse may not be available right away. In those cases, a Telehealth Associate will take your information, and a nurse will call you back. This may take several hours during peak activity periods.

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