News

May 6 marks the beginning of National Nursing Week in Canada. This year’s theme is Changing Lives. Shaping Tomorrow. The week aims to draw attention to the vital contributions of nursing to patient healthcare. The College recognizes the dedication, commitment and professionalism of nurses delivering skilled and compassionate care to patients throughout Nova Scotia.

May 24, 2024 | 12:30 PM – 1:00 PM The meeting will take place online via a virtual meeting platform. Download the 29th Annual General Meeting Agenda (PDF) If you wish to attend, please RSVP by Tuesday, May 21, 2024, to communications@cpsns.ns.ca

May 1 marks Doctors Day here in Nova Scotia. The College recognizes the dedication of physicians and medical learners in caring for their patients throughout the province.

The College joins Nova Scotians in expressing appreciation for the work our physicians and medical learners do every day when providing patient care and promoting healthy communities.

With the passing of the Financial Measures Act, the government now has authority to make regulations requiring physicians to disclose all health records to the Minister.

The Minister has authority to access this personal health information for system planning and improvement. The government sees this authority as needed to empower patients and to inform the management of the healthcare system with data. The College supports the importance of these goals.

When I appeared before the Law Amendments Committee, I advanced the position that the Minister’s access to personal health information should be restricted to only aggregate, de-identified data.

The College of Physicians and Surgeons of Nova Scotia (the College) serves the public by regulating the province’s medical profession in accordance with the Nova Scotia Medical Act and its regulations.  Among other responsibilities, the College licenses physicians to practise medicine, supports high standards of medical practice, and investigates complaints about physicians.

The College celebrates International Transgender Visibility Day on March 31. This day is dedicated to celebrating and honouring transgender people with the aim of increasing the visibility and awareness of the transgender community.

The government is moving forward with changes to the Personal Health Information Act (PHIA).  Once enacted, physicians (and all other health professionals) will be required to disclose their patient medical records to the Minister of Health. The parameters of the Minister’s access to patient records and the specifics of the data governance have not yet been defined.

In the view of the College, this new legislation will have a profound effect on medical practice and on the nature of the patient-doctor relationship which is based on trust and confidentiality.

The SignPost newsletter provides updates and resources to participants who are engaged with the Welcome Collaborative. The Welcome Collaborative is an orientation program designed to support physicians who have trained outside of Canada, have been issued a licence, and are new to practising in Nova Scotia.