Update on Sussex ER Operation Hours

Hours at the Sussex ER have been stabilized for the summer, which is great news after hearing the contrary in recent weeks. The ER will open a half hour later each day at 8 a.m. instead of 7:30 a.m. to allow time for doctors to commute from Saint John.

I am grateful to Health Minister Bruce Fitch and Horizon Health CEO Margaret Melanson for working on solutions for this community. I will not let up, though, on returning our ER to 24/7 which we hope can be achieved in time with a blended professional model using MDs, advanced care paramedics, nurse practitioners, respiratory therapists and others. Those details are being worked out and we anticipate Sussex being named to pilot the model in the coming months.

Horizon wishes to inform the public of an adjustment to the hours of service at the Sussex Health Centre (SHC) Emergency Department (ED).

Effective Monday, May 27, the ED will now open at 8 a.m. and will continue to operate until 8:30 p.m., seven days per week.

This slight change in hours of service will help ensure consistent physician coverage in the ED – and better accommodating physicians who commute to Sussex from outside the area – as we continue to prioritize the recruitment of additional physician support to this facility.

Horizon is committed to providing consistent and timely access to quality emergency medical services to residents of Sussex and the surrounding area, and we continue to work closely with community stakeholders and medical leadership on this objective.

For non-urgent medical needs, Sussex area residents are encouraged to continue to use other options, such as Tele-Care 811; pharmacies; virtual care, such as eVisitNB.ca; and after-hours clinics. More information on these options is available at sowhywait.ca.