NL NDP Leader Jim Dinn (St. John’s Centre) says that it’s time that government, especially the Department of Health and Community Services, look at what is not working with recruitment and retention of healthcare workers, and make the necessary changes to ensure the supports and resources are available in our province’s healthcare system.
During the election campaign, the NDP released their NL Cares Plan – a plan that was built solely around recruitment and retention and ensuring ideal working conditions for all healthcare workers. Created from collaborating with unions and healthcare workers, this plan outlines the solutions that come from those on the ground. Dinn is calling on government to adopt these changes, especially around how we recruit.
“We know that doing the same thing and expecting different results clearly isn’t working when it comes to delivering healthcare to people in this province. Government can continue to announce new infrastructure, but we know that bricks and mortar does not administer care – workers do,” Dinn said. “Healthcare centres are closing or unable to even open due to staffing shortages. At some point, we have to ask ourselves, why are we continuing to follow the same plan that is not yielding the results we need?”
“Here are the three main points from our NL Cares Plan that we believe will help get our province back on track for recruiting these essential workers;
- Restore the full-time recruiter position in the MUN Medical School for physicians, and hire one specifically devoted to nursing schools, and one for other healthcare professionals and other identified worker positions in the healthcare system;
- Merge the new recruiters and those in the regions of NLHS into a single Office for Medical Professional Recruitment, so that they avoid duplicating effort and work together on common goals while sharing expertise and resources;
- Paid work terms for nurses and pharmacy students, while implementing support and mentorship systems for all new health profession graduates.
“By creating a standalone Office for Medical Professional Recruitment, staff will be able to focus on building and strengthening our healthcare workforce. That means supporting local students as they prepare to enter the profession, while also providing timely, dedicated assistance to healthcare professionals interested in practicing in Newfoundland and Labrador.
“We continue to hear stories of doctors struggling to reach someone about their recruitment bonus or contract. If we want healthcare professionals to choose our province, we need to answer the phone, respond quickly, and make recruitment a top priority. It requires focus, urgency, and a real commitment to bringing people here and keeping them here – and that is how this office will support NL Health Services.”
“People are struggling to access care. It’s time for the Minister of Health to take on this responsibility and reinvent healthcare recruitment and retention in this province so our healthcare system can deliver for every Newfoundlander and Labradorian.”