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More specialized health care positions needed to ensure access to health care.
Fredericton (31 Jan. 2013) – The New Brunswick Union (NBUPPE/NUPGE) is asking the Minister of Health to ensure health care dollars are spent properly to create more specialized health care positions in order to enable access to universal health care for all patients.
More recruitment is necessary in order to prevent patients from being dropped off a waiting list. “We have seen patients being dropped off a physiotherapy waiting list in Miramichi, but we need to remember there are waiting lists for various sectors of healthcare” said Susie Proulx-Daigle, NBU President. “Most services provided by the members of specialized health care across New Brunswick have waiting lists. Children are waiting for Speech Therapy, Oncology patients are waiting for counseling, stroke patients wait for occupational therapy, and the list goes on.”
Chronic health conditions that require services such as physiotherapy that are left untreated not only limit the quality of life of the individual it actually contributes to increased treatment time and costs. It also reduces the potential for a successful outcome, leaving individuals dealing with lifelong pain and a reduced level of functioning.
“The Health Minister acknowledges there is a recruitment issue for positions in physiotherapy as an example” continued Proulx-Daigle. “These professionals often choose to be self-employed rather than employed with the health regions. We urge the provincial government to re-direct the funding, to recruit and retain more specialized health care professionals to provide the treatment and prevention that New Brunswickers need and deserve.”
The NBUPPE/NUPGE welcomes the ongoing discussion to reduce waste, eliminate duplication and improve direct patient care.
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The National Union of Public and General Employees (NUPGE) is one of Canada's largest labour organizations with over 340,000 members. Our mission is to improve the lives of working families and to build a stronger Canada by ensuring our common wealth is used for the common good. NUPGE