Eastern Health hires private company to handle long-term care beds

The Newfoundland and Labrador government is still struggling to open dozens of beds in the recently opened St. John's Long-Term Care Facility, so it has turned to private business to fill in the gap.

Eastern Health has recruited nurses from Jamaica to help open 430 beds in the Pleasantville facility, but it it could not find enough staff to open up the last 30. 

To make up for the shortfall, the government is now paying the privately-owned Chancellor Park to use 15 of its beds.
 
Health Minister Steve Kent said it's actually costing government about 20 per cent less to partner with the private facility.  

"It's interesting though that Chancellor Park is able to recruit and retain staff apparently better than we can and their retention of staff seems to be better," Kent said Thursday. 

"They certainly don't have the sick leave and overtime challenges that we have in our system so maybe there are things that we can learn from that." 

Kent added that about five employees out of a workforce of 545 leave the Long-Term Care Facility each month. The facility, which has not yet been given a permanent name, opened in September and replaced the now-decommissioned Hoyles-Escasoni complex. 

Opposition Leader Dwight Ball was not impressed. 

"In all fairness, seven years to construct the facility and you did not have time to recruit people, put people in place for when the doors opened," Ball told the House of Assembly. 

"That is just not good enough for the people of this province."