Make Ambulances Public and Raise Standards

Summary#

This bill would move Nova Scotia’s ambulance system to a fully public model run by the Department of Health and Wellness. It orders the government to write and carry out a plan to create a provincial ambulance service, with better pay, benefits, and training for paramedics, and clear service standards.

• Requires a Provincial Ambulance Service Strategy that leads to a government‑owned, government‑operated ambulance service.
• Guarantees current EMC (the private operator) paramedics a path to become Department employees with the same benefits as other Department staff.
• Keeps the current union (IUOE Local 727) as the bargaining agent for its members.
• Targets wages at the national average and adds stronger mental health supports, pensions, and retiree health benefits.
• Funds Nova Scotia Community College to expand paramedic training at campuses that offer practical nursing, with enough seats to meet demand.
• Orders the Department to set, monitor, and enforce standards for ambulance availability and response times.
• Sets deadlines: Strategy by Nov 1, 2026; new legislation by Apr 30, 2027; regulations within three months after that; and the new service up and running within three months after the rules are made, if funding is approved.

What it means for you#

• Patients and families

  • The goal is faster response times and more reliable ambulance coverage across the province.
  • Service branding and who runs the service would change, but emergency care should remain available during the shift.
  • Changes would roll out over several years, not right away.

• Paramedics and ambulance staff (currently with EMC)

  • A clear path to become public employees of the Department.
  • Same employment benefits as other Department staff, plus a pension and retiree health benefits.
  • Wages aimed at the national average.
  • Continued union representation by IUOE Local 727.
  • Better access to mental health supports designed for trauma‑exposed work.

• People interested in becoming paramedics

  • More training seats at NSCC, offered where practical nursing programs already run.
  • Easier access to local training could reduce waitlists and travel costs for students.

• Rural and remote communities

  • The Department must set and enforce standards for ambulance availability and response times, which could improve coverage outside cities.

• Taxpayers

  • Moving to a public service, raising wages to national averages, and adding pensions and retiree benefits are likely to increase provincial costs.
  • All spending still needs approval by the Legislature.

Expenses#

No publicly available information.

Proponents' View#

• A public, province‑run service will improve accountability and rebuild trust after concerns about delays and coverage.
• Better pay, pensions, and mental health supports will help recruit and keep paramedics, reducing turnover and burnout.
• Keeping the existing union in place should make the transition smoother and protect workers’ rights.
• Clear provincial standards for availability and response times will make performance visible and enforceable, leading to faster care.
• Funding more training seats at NSCC will grow the workforce and address shortages, including outside Halifax.
• Aligning wages with the national average helps make Nova Scotia competitive with other provinces.

Opponents' View#

• Transitioning from a private operator to a public service could be costly, with ongoing expenses for higher wages, pensions, and retiree health benefits.
• Tight deadlines may be unrealistic and risk service disruption during the changeover.
• Pegging wages to the national average may raise costs regardless of local budget limits or living costs.
• A centralized, government‑run model could be less flexible or efficient than a contracted model.
• Promised improvements depend on future funding approvals; if budgets fall short, goals may not be met.
• New standards alone may not fix rural response challenges if staffing and fleet growth lag behind demand.