Liberals ask province to pause further rollout of OPOR health system

The interim leader of the Nova Scotia Liberal party is asking the province to hold off on continuing the rollout for One Person One Record (OPOR).

OPOR system matches your health data to a single record with the intent of making it easier to for health professionals to access information. It kicked off in the IWK in December.

In a letter written to Health Minister Michelle Thompson, Iain Rankin says there are concerns about how the system is being implemented.

“We all agree on the goal – modernizing our healthcare system matters, and a province-wide record system can help improve care,” says Rankin in a statement. “But what we’re hearing from frontline workers raises real concerns about how this rollout is happening.”

According to a recent survey by NSGEU members, more than 80 per cent of respondents say OPOR has not gone well with things like missed appointments, delays in care and longer waitlists.

Staff also expressed issues with training.

“We need to listen to the people delivering care,” says Rankin. “They want OPOR to succeed, but they’re telling us the rollout is moving too quickly and without the support needed to do it safely,” says Rankin.

Rankin asks the province to pause further implementation that is slated for May 9 until concerns are addressed.

“Everyone wants progress, but safety has to come first,” says Rankin.

Meantime, in response to the survey by NSGEU, the province acknowledges that healthcare staff may feel anxious over the “significant change” but say training targets are being met and safety is top priority.