by People visiting the Emergency Department at the Northside General Hospital in North Sydney will now have to see a triage nurse or paramedic before they sign in.
The provincial health authority announced the change effective immediately for the Northside General, yesterday.
It adds the change will also be coming to the Glace Bay hospital in two weeks.
Critical-care educator Sharon MacLeod says most hospitals, including the regional in Sydney, triage patients first to determine which ones need more urgent treatment.
She adds it’s important for people to know that they can always go back to a triage nurse or paramedic to have their condition re-assessed, if they feel it has changed while waiting to see a doctor.