Nova Scotia women describe harrowing experiences trying to access medical care

From left, Donna Manning, Kelly Jacques and Haley Smith spoke today at a press conference held by the Nova Scotia NDP. The three women each shared their harrowing experiences trying to access medical care, in Halifax on Wednesday, Sept. 16, 2026. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Lyndsay Armstrong

HALIFAX — A Halifax woman suffering from gynecological problems has been told she could wait up to five years to see a specialist even though she has been bleeding for the past 131 days.

Haley Smith is 36 years old and suffers from fibroids, cysts and adenomyosis.

During a news conference earlier today, she was emotional as she shared her story alongside two other Nova Scotia women who described their struggles accessing timely medical care.

Smith says she’s been feeling lost and unheard, and she can’t wrap her head around the lengthy wait time to see a gynecologist.

NDP Leader Claudia Chender says her party plans to force a debate in the Nova Scotia legislature on three NDP bills aimed at improving the province’s struggling health-care system.

If passed, one of the bills would require the government to draft a plan with measurable targets to reduce wait times in emergency rooms.

The party has also tabled legislation for free access to birth control, hormone therapy and a round of in vitro fertilization, as well as a bill that would reinstate an independent board to oversee health decisions and spending.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 16, 2026.

Lyndsay Armstrong, The Canadian Press