Premier orders Horizon to halt changes to nursing roles

Premier Susan Holt has halted a plan by Horizon Health that would have seen registered nurses and other professionals shuffled into new roles in the areas of public health and mental health and addictions.

Holt said in a statement on social media that she was "extremely concerned to hear about potential changes" that were presented to Horizon nurses and other staff at two meetings on Wednesday.

The health authority's CEO Margaret Melanson had planned to speak to reporters at noon on Thursday about "changes to strengthen Horizon's Public Health and Addiction and Mental Health services." 

But that availability was abruptly cancelled with an hour's notice.

In her statement, the premier said she and her ministers "have asked that there be a stop to these activities until meaningful consultation is done" with front-line staff.

Speaking to CBC News before Holt posted her comments, New Brunswick Nurses Union president Paula Doucet said the two Wednesday meetings were billed as being about "transformational" changes to community care.

But the presentations "left more questions than answers," Doucet said.

She also said there was information that was "not accurate" about what rights employees had under their union contracts, and about how much the union had been consulted.

"I felt very much slighted and disappointed with the misrepresentation of information yesterday, giving the idea that NBNU was part of a consultation process and that we supported this plan," she said.

"In reality, we weren't consulted and, number 2, we've not seen any plan."  

The Holt government has delivered mixed messages on the issue since the opposition first raised it in the legislature last May.

The premier accused Opposition Leader Glen Savoie of "fear mongering" when he asked questions about public health nurses being moved into other roles and replaced by licensed practical nurses.

Holt promised to consult nurses and their unions, telling Savoie, "We are not doing anything without them." 

But she also acknowledged that there would be movement.

"Change is hard and I can't tell everyone we're going to keep the system as it is, with everyone in exactly the same jobs, because we do not want exactly the same results," she said May 14.

Health Minister John Dornan said at another announcement Thursday that officials were looking at how to deliver better care with "a better skill mix group."

That could involve the movement of registered nurses, licensed practical nurses, social workers and nurse practitioners, he said — but  only after consultation.

"We need to speak to the front-line people. Yes, there will be movement in our health-care system. Yes, we will do that after appropriate consultation." 

He gave no indication the government would be putting a stop to Horizon's plan within the hour. 

Following Holt's statement, Melanson issued her own statement saying Horizon was in "the early stages of a transformation" to improve public health and addiction and mental health services. 

"We remain committed to engaging in ongoing, two-way dialogue with our staff and all relevant stakeholders. This transformation will not happen overnight, and it will not happen without the voices of our teams at the table," the statement said.

PC Opposition health critic Bill Hogan said he's heard from nurses working in public health who were upset after being told they were being moved and would be replaced by licensed practical nurses.

He said Holt's statement was "kind of like on-again, off-again" with no clear indication if changes would happen or not.  

"I think it's unfortunate they've taken something and made a mess out of it," he said.