Nova Scotia Cancer Centre Cuts Radiation Appointments Due to Staffing Shortage
Nova Scotia Health has reduced radiation therapy hours at the Halifax cancer centre due to 14 radiation therapist vacancies, with up to 48 appointments going unfilled daily. A proposed 10-seat training program at Dalhousie University was rejected by the treasury board despite a looming workforce retirement wave. Advocates warn the staffing shortage will worsen as Nova Scotia's high cancer rates continue to grow.
A staffing shortage has forced Nova Scotia Health to reduce radiation therapy appointments at the Halifax cancer centre, one of only two facilities offering radiation treatment in the province. The radiation department began closing 1.5 hours earlier than usual in early March, with an employee estimating that up to 48 appointments per day are going unfilled.
Nova Scotia Health reports 14 vacancies for radiation therapists, who operate the machines and administer treatment to cancer patients. The Atlantic manager of the Canadian Association of Medical Radiation Technologists estimates these vacancies represent 25% of the department's complement. The Cape Breton cancer centre, the only other radiation therapy site in Nova Scotia, is operating at capacity. Halifax serves as a regional hub for complex cases from across the Atlantic provinces.
The health authority said cancer patients are being triaged and prioritized for radiation based on clinical need and that it is monitoring wait times to ensure urgent cases receive immediate care. Staff are now being asked to work mandatory overtime. There are no plans to send patients out of province for care, which Newfoundland and Labrador did in 2023 when it faced a similar shortage and had to transfer nearly 200 cancer patients to Ontario.
There are no radiation therapy training programs on the East Coast. Students must attend university in Ontario or further west to pursue the career. Nova Scotia currently buys two seats at the Michener Institute of Education in Toronto. The association representing radiation therapists says three years ago it advocated for a 10-seat program at Dalhousie University slated to start in 2027, but the treasury board rejected the proposal. The Department of Advanced Education said it has to weigh competing priorities but that options to strengthen training capacity "are never off the table."
The association notes approximately 27% of the radiation therapist workforce in Atlantic Canada will be eligible to retire in the next 10 years. Nationally, there are about 2,900 radiation therapists, and in 2025, 108 graduates and international applicants passed the certification exam. Radiation therapists see cancer patients more often than physicians and oncologists during treatment, providing guidance on side effects and emotional support.
Nova Scotia has some of the highest cancer rates in the country. Cancer prevalence is expected to grow as the population ages and expands. Advocates are calling on the Nova Scotia government to revisit the Dalhousie proposal and suggesting Atlantic Canadian governments could split the cost of a regional program.