Nova Scotia 811 call volumes highest since start of pandemic

With the Omicron variant circulating widely across Nova Scotia, thousands of people are dialing 811 looking for help and reassurance. 

Registered nurses who staff the province's health information line, and the telehealth associates who handle the initial assessments, responded to more than 55,000 calls this month, according to figures from the province. That's about 5,000 more than in December.

December's tally was more than double the 23,000 calls received in November. 

The 811 line has averaged roughly 2,100 calls a day this month. 

Wendy Boutilier, 811 operations manager, said although wait-times are longer than usual — 30 to 60 minutes on average — staff deserve credit for handling this dramatic increase in calls. 

Extra nurses

"We have really strong, dedicated staff, said Boutilier." We have them, every day, working so hard to answer those calls."

At the start of the pandemic, the province gave Emergency Medical Care Inc., the company that provides the 811 service, money to hire an extra 50 registered nurses in order to handle pandemic-related calls.

Boutilier said most of those people remain on the job.

"Many of them are retired nurses that are still here after two years supporting 811," said Boutilier. "We also have many nurses come part-time just to dedicate their time from their own jobs to help support us as well."

Calls ebb and flow with each wave during the pandemic. But the latest wave has resulted in the highest number of calls in the last two years.

Call volumes have fluctuated from a low of 734 calls a day in August 2021 to a high of 2,192 a day this month.

Boutilier said the extra workload means some people have had to wait longer to speak to a nurse. That has led to complaints.

"People aren't happy with the wait-times, however, we're truly doing our best to respond to those calls in a timely fashion to the best of our ability." she said.

According to Boutilier, many callers have been looking for help to assess the severity of their symptoms. They also ask what they should do now that they have tested positive.

Unlike other health services that have been hobbled by a high number of COVID-related absences, Boutilier said the 811 service has been more fortunate. 

'We've been lucky'

"We've been lucky," said Boutilier. "Our workforce has remained consistent."

That may be, in part, because nurses work out of their homes and not a central facility.

Those, such as Boutilier, who continue to go into the workplace must adhere by strict COVID protection measures.

"We have really great protocols in place within our building.," she said. "We do rapid testing on a daily basis. We have public health measures in place to ensure that we are on top of COVID."