FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
May 27, 2024
Statement from Matt MacFarlane on King Government’s Failure to Recruit UPEI Nursing Grads and Lack of Urgency in Addressing Healthcare Recruitment Issues
Charlottetown, PE – In the midst of a healthcare crisis that is being felt by every Islander, the King government continues to turn a blind eye to serious healthcare recruitment issues. Despite repeated assurances from the Minister of Health, the situation on the ground remains dire. Last week we learned that UPEI nursing graduates, trained and educated right here at home, are experiencing insulting and unacceptable delays in job offers from Health PEI.
Many nursing graduates received job offers just days before their convocation, leaving them little time to prepare for their new role. As we have heard from new doctors and other healthcare workers looking to work on PEI, calls and emails from these nursing grads were not being returned. The justification from government is that an “error in the transition” of communication to nursing grads occurred. The Green Caucus has consistently criticized the lack of respect this government extends to our Island healthcare workers and this is just another example of that treatment which has contributed to the crisis we are in today.
As of last week, only 50 job offers have been made, half of which are part-time. UPEI graduated 77 nursing students this year. When we have so many vacancies in our nursing positions, and so many Island nurses looking to begin their careers here, it is unacceptable that government has been unable to offer jobs to each and every one of these graduates. It is shameful to hear government boasting that they’ve offered jobs to little over half of these critical healthcare workers.
Minister McLane and Premier King should be ashamed. Our healthcare system is crumbling and I heard nothing during the spring sitting that convinces me that the Minister or Premier even recognize there is a problem. When I asked government about recruitment and hiring concerns, I was met with lists of accomplishments and international recruitment trips. Unfortunately, none of these accomplishments or trips have enabled government to offer jobs to those nurses who are already here and ready to work.
It is well past time that the Minister admit that there is a problem and there is serious work that needs to be done. Our healthcare system is in crisis, and our new graduates are a vital part of the solution. Minister McLane must fix this now – Islanders will not tolerate a government that continues to disrespect the healthcare workers we so desperately need to support our struggling system.
Matt MacFarlane
Third Party Critic for Health
MLA Borden-Kinkora
-30-
For media inquiries, please contact:
Katie Rankin
Chief of Staff
Office of the Third Party
Tel: (902) 213-6378
Email: kerankin@assembly.pe.ca