For Immediate Release
August 15, 2024
NL NDP Leader Jim Dinn (St. John’s Centre) is sounding the alarm against the privatization of health care after NL Health Services issued an RFP for standardizing the use of agencies for nursing staff.
In 2023 the Liberal government spent over $90 million of public money on private travel nursing contracts. The travel nurses cost millions more and the contracts included excessive spending on things like air fryers and airfare for pets. Dinn says that this announcement shows government intention to privatize health care instead of addressing retention issues.
“Privatization has no place in our health care system, period,” said Dinn. “Clearly Premier Furey and this Liberal government, regardless of how many think tanks and consultations they have with our health care unions, refuse to listen to workers and address the human resources piece that they have been highlighting.
“For years health care workers across the health care system have been raising concerns about time off, work-life balance, and burn out, pleading to government to bring forward a human resource plan that works. The Liberal government doesn’t seem to care that privatization hurts workers and increases the pressures on our health care system.
“The RFP is alarming. We demanded a deadline to phase out travel nurses. What’s happening with the timeline? NL Health Services says that these nurses will only be used after other options, such as public sector workers, have been “exhausted,” but how can we ensure this?
“This move, along with what we have seen with the air ambulance system, continues to open the door to privatization, and it is unacceptable. Until this government addresses the human resources piece, they will continue to struggle with recruitment and retention.”
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For further information, contact Stephanie Curran, Media Relations Manager, NDP Caucus at 330-0328 (o), or stephaniecurran@gov.nl.ca
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