As our province’s health-care system continues to evolve and respond to growing demands, Newfoundland and Labrador (NL) Health Services is strengthening oversight and accountability measures related to the use of health sector contracts for private health-care agency staff.

These improvements are in keeping with the recommendations outlined in a report issued today by the Office of the Auditor General. NL Health Services accepts all 15 recommendations outlined by the Auditor General and has already taken action to address many of these recommendations.

“We appreciate the Auditor General’s work and see it as an important validation of the work already underway. We remain committed to working with the Office of the Auditor General and the Department of Health and Community Services, as well as providing updates on progress towards meeting the recommendations outlined in this report,” said Dr. Pat Parfrey, CEO of NL Health Services. “NL Health Services is a new health authority with a new framework focused on quality and learning in the health system that will strengthen our ability to seamlessly integrate data and relevant evidence into decisions and practice. This approach will inform efforts to build a more stable, sustainable workforce that can meet the long-term health-care needs of our province.”

Reducing reliance on agency staffing and stabilizing the nursing workforce has been a key priority for NL Health Services since its formation in April 2023. This work supports priorities outlined in the Health Accord NL and is a central commitment in our 2024-2026 Strategic Plan.

To improve accountability and reduce agency usage, NL Health Services has made significant progress toward implementing a provincial nursing workforce stabilization and agency reduction strategy. We are focused on value, safety and quality, and recruitment and retention. Actions taken to date include:

• Standardizing agency contracts across the province to ensure consistency and fiscal responsibility.
• Establishing a Provincial Centralized Agency Office for greater oversight and control.
• Drafted a Conflict of Interest Policy.  
• Requiring approval by VP (zone) for use of agency resources. 
• Implementing provincial criteria for use guidelines and centralized tracking tools.
• Launching new scheduling models, including acuity-based staffing, to improve coverage and quality of care.
• Offering up to $50,000 in recruitment incentives for hard-to-fill areas.
• Expanding supports for internationally educated nurses (IENs) entering the workforce.
• Launching a Retention Task Force focused on staff wellness, leadership development, ‘growing our own’ nursing staff, and inclusive work environments.
  
  

“While there has been a decline in our reliance on agency nurses since the introduction of our strategy, we continue to pursue all options to stabilize the workforce to provide existing and new health-care services to residents in all areas of the province,” said Debbie Molloy, vice-president of Human Resources, NL Health Services. “We are committed to learning, continuous improvement, and providing high quality, safe care in alignment with our ICARE values.  We will continue to evolve our approach based on data, evidence, and the needs of our staff and patients.”

An NL Health Services’ Agency Nurse Task Force is overseeing this work, with regular reporting on:

• The percentage of nursing hours filled by agency staff.
• Recruitment data for registered nurses and nurse practitioners.
• Progress in onboarding IENs from India and Dubai and supporting their transition into practice.

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