Mediator appointed as strike looms at Capital Health

Negotiations are set to resume Saturday morning in acontractdispute thatthreatens to shut down all but the most urgent services in Nova Scotia's largest health district.

The provincial government has appointed Bruce Outhouse to mediate the negotiations between Capital Health and the Nova Scotia Government and General Employees Union.

Labour and Advanced Education Minister Marilyn More said the move shows how seriously the government takes the threat of a strike at Capital Health.

Morenoted that Outhouse has mediated a number of contract disputes in the province. She said he'll bring "new perspectives and views" to both sides.

About 3,600 members of the union are set to walk off the job on Wednesday after filing an official notice this week.

The two sides are far apart on the issue of wages. Among other things, the district will not match a raise of more than five per cent awarded to registered nurses in an arbitration case.

Preparing for a strike

Capital Health plans to provide services to people in life-threatening situations is the strike happens.All other services would cease, including some surgeries for cancer patients.

Dr. David Kirkpatrick, chief of surgery, said each case would be reviewed each day to ensure no lives are put at risk.

A strike would affect people as far away as Cape Breton, since many patientsregularly travel to Halifax for treatment.

"This is a possible extraordinary event," said Greg Boone, with the Cape Breton District Health Authority. "We're working to do things at another levelto try to get more patients back home sooner."

Boone said the CBDHA is getting ready in case it has tosupplement services that aren't offered by Capital Health.

"We could possibly provide treatment for some cancer patients from Capital if it was determined by the medical team at Capital that it was necessary," he said.

Progressive Conservative Leader Jamie Baillie said the government should do more to make sure a strike is avoided. He wants back-to-work legislation to be implemented.

Doctors Nova Scotia, which represents physicians in the province, said it's not ready to demand similar action from the government.