New Brunswick health officials are reversing controversial changes made to the eVisitNB virtual health service.

Earlier this week, Brunswick News first reported that patients were no longer able to be referred for blood work.

According to reporting by the newspaper, the change had gone into effect unexpectedly as of early April.

On Thursday, the Department of Health announced that eVisitNB was “returning to the same service levels provided prior to April 1.”

The department said the change had been made to focus on primary care needs that are immediate, and not on matters requiring ongoing care for which a person’s primary care provider is best suited.

After concerns were raised regardings access to requests for services like blood work, the department said it asked eVisitNB to return to the previous service level.

“While the intent was to ensure people are contacting their primary health-care provider first for these services, it is clear it was causing issues for some people when it came to access,” Health Minister Bruce Fitch said in a news release.

Fitch said the department is in the process of expanding the NB Health Link program, which connects New Brunswickers waiting for a primary care provider with a team who can look after their needs until they secure one.

“As we continue this work, the same level of service eVisit had provided prior to April 1 is still required,” said Fitch.

Earlier this week, the health minister confirmed in the legislature that there were 47,000 New Brunswickers on the list waiting for a primary care provider.