RNU says Budget 2026 must deliver “safe staffing and real healthcare solutions”
As the provincial government releases Budget 2026 this afternoon, the Registered Nurses’ Union Newfoundland and Labrador (RNU) says one thing must come first: safe staffing in every hospital, clinic, and long-term care home.
Across the province, people are waiting longer for care. Services are stretched. Nurses are working short staffed, often without enough support to meet patient needs safely.
RNU says people deserve to know something simple: when they need healthcare, there will be enough nurses there to care for them.
“Our members are doing everything they can to hold the system together,” said Yvette Coffey, President of RNU. “But when there are not enough nurses, care slows down, risks go up, and people feel it.”
Government has already committed to implement the recommendations of a province-wide Core Staffing Review.
“We don’t need more studies sitting on a shelf,” said Coffey. “We need action. People need to know that when they need care, there will be enough nurses there to provide it safely.”
RNU says safe staffing is not just a workplace issue. It is a public safety issue.
“This is about your wait time in emergency,” Coffey said. “It is about whether your parent gets the care they need in long-term care. It is about whether nurses have the time to do their jobs properly. Safe staffing is what keeps people safe.”
RNU is calling on government to bring that money back into the public system by building a stable, publicly employed workforce.
Related Articles
