Appointments out there for Fredericton-area residents with out major care suppliers

Fredericton residents lastly have one other choice to see a health-care supplier while not having to go to the emergency room or drive to different communities to attempt to get get care.

Horizon’s Downtown Neighborhood Well being Centre now has 25 appointments every week out there on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays. Individuals who want to see one of many clinic’s nurse practitioners can name to ebook an appointment, beginning at 10 a.m. on these days.

1000’s of Fredericton residents with no major care supplier have restricted choices. That is the one such clinic on town’s south aspect. The opposite possibility is a non-public clinic in Marysville on town’s north aspect.

Trish Murray, major well being care director for the Fredericton and Higher River Valley area, stated the clinic employs six nurse practitioners, each half time and full time.

Murray stated including extra workers in January has allowed them to tackle extra than simply referrals and after finalizing how many individuals the nurse practitioners can see, telephone strains had been opened final week.

“It went very properly and by Thursday we had been seeing all of our appointments crammed, which is what we what we wish to see,” she informed Info Morning Fredericton. “That is one thing that we count on to be everlasting.”

Murray stated she expects the variety of appointments to double by summer time.

The method of getting an appointment is much like different walk-in clinics, the place sufferers should name at 10:00 a.m. and proceed calling till they’ll get by way of. Murray stated a recorded message will let callers know as soon as all appointments are crammed for the day. She stated workers will nonetheless compile a brief wait record in case of cancellations.

Murray stated on-line appointments are nonetheless out there by way of eVisitNB and folks also can name 811, which is staffed by health-care staff who can refer sufferers to the suitable place.

Who’s eligible?

A licensed sensible nurse will reply incoming calls and display screen callers for eligibility, Murray stated. 

Appointments are reserved for individuals with no major care supplier, or individuals who do have one however the anticipate an appointment is unreasonable.

Nurse practitioners can see sufferers with points which might be pressing, however not so pressing that they are life threatening, comparable to urinary tract infections, sprains and respiratory infections, she stated.

They will prescribe medication and immunizations and order imaging and lab assessments. In response to the Nurses Affiliation of New Brunswick, the one medication nurse practitioners cannot prescribe are anabolic steroids (excluding testosterone), opium and heroin.