The Registered Nurses’ Union of Newfoundland and Labrador is alerting the public. Teladoc, an American virtual care provider, was recently incorporated into family care teams and they are not happy with this recent development. Yvette Coffey, the union president, said this move deeply threatens the publicly-funded healthcare system in the province. In her testimony, she highlighted the human cost of these agency shifts.
Once fully realized across Newfoundland and Labrador, 25 to 35 nurses will be actively engaged in intake operations. This transition will significantly improve the continuity of care across the region. This amendment comes after the province’s unilateral decision to outsource these roles without advance notice to the union. Coffey pointed out that the union has already filed several grievances and called on the provincial government to meet with them over this unexpected change. Yet, each of them has been met with silence.
Coffey articulated the union’s primary concern: “They have taken away that opportunity.” Her comments illustrate a growing frustration among government nurses. Like so many in government, they believe privatization efforts have been eroding their authority. Previously this work was staffed by nurses in the public sector, now it is staffed by personnel from Teladoc. Coffey says this move takes the tools away from registered nurses and nurse practitioners across the province.
The union president further noted, “That’s money that came out of our public health-care system that could have been used toward the registered nurses, the nurse practitioners or other health-care providers or health-care professionals.” As a nurse, she feels strongly that handing intake work over to a private company is just the first step in dismantling public healthcare services. This decision threatens both their effectiveness and long-term viability.
Coffey added that in the Eastern market, that work has been passed on to Teladoc. This ruling plays an outsized role in our unit of trade contract work. Beyond that general claim, this assertion serves to highlight real-world examples where private entities are usurping legal public sector functions. These changes provoke some big questions about the future of healthcare delivery in Newfoundland and Labrador.
The union has been in constant advocacy for transparency and communication with provincial officials. They aim to be crystal clear about what the future looks like for nurses on multidisciplinary family care teams. Coffey is committed to ensuring delivery of public health services. She is a fierce advocate to protect nurses from private interests and make them the focus of public policy interests.
