Cut wait times by adding health care workers, says NSGEU

Recruitment and retention are 'huge issues' in all health care fields in which the NSGEU represents workers – and privatization is not the answer

Halifax (3 August 2007) - Nova Scotia needs more health care workers to effectively cut waiting times, says the Nova Scotia Government and General Employees Union (NSGEU/NUPGE).

“There is a serious human resource shortage in health care that has to be solved," argues union president Joan Jessome. "It will only get worse as the population ages."

Jessome says recruitment and retention are "huge issues" in all health care fields in which the NSGEU represents workers – and privatization is not the answer, she emphasizes.

"Privatization of any piece of health care, as advocated by the Canadian Medical Association (CMA) in their new plan, will not make it better," Jessome argues. "In fact it will make wait times worse. It will take doctors and resources out of the public system when what we need is to put more resources in."

NSGEU says Canadians agree that using public money to fund private for-profit health care, as advocated by the CMA, is the wrong direction for the country to take

According to the CMA’s own Ipsos Reid poll, 77% of Canadians favour increasing the number of health care professionals who work in the public health care system over any other option.

“The employers need to properly manage the delivery of health care in the province," says Jessome. "Health care workers are burning out. These workers need to be listened to and respected."

The NSGEU represents 24,000 Nova Scotia workers who deliver public services. NUPGE