WCB Nova Scotia Primary and Emergency Care Report

Nova Scotia physicians and nurse practitioners use this report to keep WCB informed about a worker's physical or psychological injury: the incident, diagnosis, clinical findings, treatment and any barriers to returning to work. It is completed at the first visit and updated at later visits, and each section is labelled with when to fill it in. WCB uses the reports to plan benefits, support safe recovery and coordinate return-to-work efforts.

Who completes it

The attending physician or nurse practitioner completes and signs the whole form, adding their CPSNS/NSCN number in the certification. Workers and employers report the injury separately through WCB Online or an Injury Report Form.

How to fill it in

WCB claim number and date of appointment

Enter the worker's WCB claim number if one exists and the date of this appointment (mm/dd/yy). WCB's reporting guidance asks providers who fax forms to put the claim number on every page, so add it to page 2 as well, which has no claim number box. You will need the same claim number when you bill the visit through MSI.

Patient (each visit)

Complete at every visit: last name, first name, middle initial, date of birth (mm/dd/yy), address (street, city, province, postal code), home phone, cell phone and health card number. Check the health card number against the chart, because MSI bills for WCB need the claim number and health card number, or the month and year of injury when you do not have them.

Injury (first visit and when changes occur)

Record the worker's job title or occupation, employer and employer phone. Tick psychological injury or physical injury and enter the date of injury beside the box you tick, then mark the injury location as left side, right side or N/A. Write the diagnosis; WCB asks each report to include your diagnosis and any diagnostic suggestions. Update this section at later visits only when something changes, such as a revised diagnosis.

Clinical notes (optional each visit)

Expand on the mechanism of injury with subjective and objective findings, including indications of pre-existing conditions or barriers to recovery, and capture findings from the current visit plus any medical changes since the last one. WCB asks each report to cover the patient's description of the incident, current concerns and related history, current work capabilities and relevant objective findings, including your observations about their ability to recover or return to work.

Treatment (first visit and when modified)

Describe the treatment plan, or tick 'Provided in Clinical Notes above' if it is already written there; this box comes pre-ticked in the posted fillable PDF, so untick it if your notes do not cover treatment. Tick Medications and list them, reviewing WCB's Special Authorization Criteria. Tick and list any referrals requested, and submit MRI and surgical referrals directly to WCB.

Return to work (each visit if changed)

Answer whether there are any medical barriers, restrictions or limitations to returning to work. If yes, expand on them here or tick 'Provided in Clinical Notes above'. WCB asks every report to describe the patient's current work capabilities, and says staying connected to work most often helps people recover more quickly; the aim is safe recovery, not rushing anyone back.

Message to WCB (optional each visit)

Use the free-text box for anything the WCB case worker should know that does not fit elsewhere on the form. To request a callback, tick 'I would like to speak to a WCB representative' and write the best phone number to reach you to discuss the case.

Attending practitioner certification

Sign and enter your CPSNS/NSCN number, name, phone, date and address. The certification covers the accuracy and completeness of the report, fees charged under the WCB Contractual Fee Schedule, no prior payment, and having read the reporting responsibilities. Then fax both pages to WCB and bill WCB26 through MSI.

Common mistakes

Omitting the patient's current work capabilities, which WCB asks every report to include along with your observations on their ability to recover or return to work.
Faxing pages without the claim number on each one; WCB's reporting guidance asks for the claim number on every faxed page.
Billing WCB26 with DHW rather than WCB as the payee, or without the claim number and health card number (or the month and year of injury).
Submitting the MSI bill more than six months after the service date; WCB says the MSI system automatically rejects late bills.
Only listing an MRI or surgical referral on the form instead of submitting it directly to WCB, as the Treatment section instructs.

Submitting and payment

How to submit it: Fax the completed form to WCB Nova Scotia using the number printed at the top, with the claim number on every page, as WCB's reporting guidance asks for faxed forms.
Who pays: Physicians bill code WCB26, printed on the form, through their usual MSI billing software with WCB (not DHW) as payee within six months of service, and since August 2025 WCB pays 100% of the MSI fee for this report, down from 110%.

Good to know

If the worker has no valid Nova Scotia health card, or the service was outside Nova Scotia, physicians invoice WCB directly on paper instead of billing MSI; WCB does not accept emailed invoices.
Submit MRI and surgical referrals directly to WCB rather than only listing them on the form; non-urgent surgical referrals go through WCB's Centralized Surgical Services Program.
The Medications line points to WCB's Special Authorization Criteria. For workers with approved claims, check the WCB Drug Formulary for coverage and special authorization requirements.
Psychological injuries are reported on this same form: tick Psychological injury under Injury Type and enter the date of injury beside it.

Get the official form

Download the current version from the source each time; forms change without notice.

Primary and Emergency Care Report

Official page PDF

Fill it with Vero

Upload the fillable PDF once and Vero Documents fills it from the visit note and the chart, ready for you to review and sign. Download, print, or email the finished form, with the patient’s consent.

See how Vero Documents works

How this list is checked

A form is listed only after its name and number were confirmed on the issuing agency’s or insurer’s own website, or in the form itself. Each entry links to that source. The list was last checked in October 2026. Forms change without notice, so download the current version from the official page before you fill it in.

Sources for this guide

Vero is not affiliated with, or endorsed by, the agencies and insurers listed here. Read our editorial policy.

Frequently asked questions

Who can complete the WCB Nova Scotia Primary and Emergency Care Report?

The form states that it is to be completed by physicians and nurse practitioners. In the Attending Practitioner Certification you give your CPSNS/NSCN number, name, phone, address, signature and date, certifying that the report is complete and accurate, that fees follow the WCB Contractual Fee Schedule and that you have received no prior payment.

What billing code is used for the Primary and Emergency Care Report?

WCB26, printed at the foot of each page; MSI's WCB physicians bulletin lists it as the Return to Work Report. Bill electronically through your usual MSI software with WCB as payee, including the claim number and health card number, or the month and year of injury if you lack them. MSI automatically rejects bills received more than six months after the service date.

Do I complete every section at every visit?

No. Patient details are completed each visit, injury details at the first visit and when changes occur, treatment at the first visit and when modified, and return to work each visit if it changed. Clinical notes and the message to WCB are optional each visit, but notes should capture the current visit's findings and any changes since the last one.

How do I ask WCB to call me about a patient?

In the Message to WCB section, tick 'I would like to speak to a WCB representative' and enter the best phone number to reach you. The box above it takes any free-text message about the case. For general questions, WCB's physicians page directs clinicians to WCB Health Services.