NDP MHA Jordan Brown is requesting the Auditor General conduct a performance audit of Newfoundland and Labrador Health Services (NLHS) and its predecessors, the Regional Health Authorities and Newfoundland and Labrador Centre for Health Information. This following news that the province intends to privatize air ambulance services.

“Specifically, I ask that you investigate their use of contracts with third parties for the provision of services, to determine whether the NLHS and its predecessors:

a). Spent responsibly on such contracts;

b). Whether the arrangements agreed to were cost-effective; and

c). Whether contracted services could have reasonably been provided in-house by government departments or Crown corporations,” asked Brown. “I fear that the decision to contract out the management of an integrated provincial ambulance and air services will result in higher costs to the tax payer,” said Brown.