Province asks Manitoba private nursing agencies for information on available workers

A request for information recently posted by Shared Health asked private nursing agencies in Manitoba to provide details on how they could help the province's health-care system a move the Official Opposition party says proves the Progressive Conservative government willincreasingly rely onprivate help to address chronic staffing shortages.

The NDP publicized the request for information document, dated June 23, on Tuesday.

"Using private agency nurses is a symptom of bigger problems in our health-care system," NDP Leader Wab Kinew saidat a press conference at Vimy Ridge Park.

The bigger problemsgo back tohealth-care cuts made under former premier Brian Pallister, he said.

NDP health critic Uzoma Asagwara, who worked as a psychiatric nurse before becoming an MLA, says they regularly hear from nurses in the public health-care system who are leaving their jobs due to regularly mandated overtime and the inability to maintain a work-life balance.

"We're going to continue to see nurses leave the public health-care system in droves," Asagwara said.

The June 23request for information from Shared Health the organization responsible for the delivery of health-care in the province says it was being issued tobetter understand the nursing agency marketplace,and "to inform how we will move forward with backup nursing and health care personnel within acute, long term, home care, congregate, and other settings in Manitoba."

The document does not explicitly indicate intent to hire more private nurses or health-care personnel from privateagencies.

But Kinew said it's obvious that's the direction Manitoba is heading in.

"You have a PC government that has increased the amount of private agency nurses to the tune of tens of millions of dollars a year in our health-care system. And now they're going to those companies providing this service and asking for more information. In any industry, we would say it looks like the PCs are going to double down on this approach," he said.

Nearly $14 million more spent on agency nurses

Manitoba is spending more money each year to employ private nurses, which cost more than their counterparts in the public system. In the 2020-21 fiscal year, the province spent $27 million on private-sector nurses to work in the public system. That shot up to $40.9 million in 2021-22.

A Winnipeg nurse manager, who agreed to speak on the condition of anonymity, acknowledged patients may see no difference between public and privatenurses, butthere can be a disconnect when private help is brought on board.

"It's concerning to me because I would rather have a team of people that I manage, that I care for, that reach out to me with issues. If we have an issue with an agency nurse, it's hard to follow up with that person."

But the manager gets the appeal of working privately. Agency nurses get paid more and are notrequired to work overtime, they said.

"If you're a young person starting off and you're not too concerned about your pension and you don't want to be mandated, agency nursing is not a bad decision."

The information requested from the private companies in the request for information included a history of their organization, experience in providing personnel in various health-care settings, what kind of health-care personnel they have available for hire, and which regions the personnel can work in.

The posting closed on July 19.

A Shared Health spokesperson said the "primary purpose" of the proposal was to "gather information on agency activity in order to determine ways to reduce our province's reliance."

In the meantime, Shared Health is also looking to standardize the various agreements between these companies and health-care employers in Manitoba.

The province's health department said all jurisdictions are faced with staffing shortages and Manitoba will continue to look atways to address the issue.

Province asks Manitoba private nursing agencies for information on available workers

2 years ago

Duration 2:05

A request for information recently posted by Shared Health asked private nursing agencies in Manitoba to provide details on how they could help the province's health-care system a move the Official Opposition party says proves the Progressive Conservative government will increasingly rely on private help to address chronic staffing shortages.