Two unions representing health care workers in the province are speaking out on the state of health care in Newfoundland and Labrador. They’re calling recent resignations at St. Clare’s Mercy Hospital, and the Auditor General’s report on travel nurses, symptoms of a system on the brink.

From the recent resignation of internal medicine physicians at St. Clare’s Mercy Hospital, as well as the Auditor General’s report on agency nursing contracts, the Association of Allied Health professionals says workers are afraid of what comes next, and some of their members are already feeling the impact. 

In a recent news release from the AAHP: ‘Respiratory Therapists, for example, are integral members of Code Blue teams. Yet, they had to wait until the last minute this past Monday to learn anything about the Health Authority’s after-hours coverage plans for addressing Code Blue emergencies over the Canada Day holiday given the physician resignations.’ 

Registered Nurses’ Union President Yvette Coffey said in a statement, that she is concerned NL Health Services CEO Dr. Pat Parfrey’s recent statements to media, that NLHS didn’t exist when these contracts were signed.

“Let’s be clear: the people who signed those contracts—who approved questionable spending and oversaw poor accountability—are now senior leaders at NLHS.” said Coffey. “Changing the name on the letterhead doesn’t erase the responsibility.”