‘I give up’: Patient raises concerns about new N.B. virtual care service

New Brunswick’s new virtual health-care service is attracting criticisms from users.

When Samantha Melanson attempted to use New Brunswick’s new Virtual Care NB service, she had no idea it would take four hours and end with no appointment.

“Very frustrating, because it’s, like, well, I’m still waiting,” she said.

She logged on last week trying to get a puffer for a cold she was experiencing.

Virtual appointments can be accessed through the online symptom checker or by calling Tele-Care 811.

But Melanson said she found the symptom checker confusing and had to cycle through multiple symptoms before she was given an appointment.

“They’re not making it user friendly, where Maple was user friendly,” she said.

Maple was the app the former virtual care provider, eVisitNB, operated through.

She was given an appointment for 8 a.m. that day. But after logging on and waiting an hour, she decided to log out.

That’s when she received an email saying, “Hello Melanson, sorry we missed you today. Your provider is available now if you wish to consult. Please join the link.”

When she did, she said no one was there.

She waited three more hours on the call before logging off a second time.

“I was, like, I give up. I’m just going to call my family doctor and see if I can get anywhere,” she said.

She’s not alone. Others, including Bonnie Phillips, have taken to Facebook with similar concerns.

Phillips said she waited more than two hours on the phone with 811 and called again on Thursday, only to have the calls disconnect twice.

“I really wish nothing had changed because it was working. 811 has never been efficient,” she said.

The province transitioned virtual care providers from eVisitNB to Foundever last week.

Health Minister John Dornan did not provide an interview on Thursday, but said last week he was confident the province would have enough staff to provide care to New Brunswickers.

“Successful transition would be that when people either email us, call us, telephone 811 that they get the care that they need at the right time,” he said last week.

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