Manitoba’s healthcare system is currently experiencing significant staffing shortages. In return, the province is bringing back contracts with a number of these nursing agencies that it had recently terminated contracts with. This decision comes only weeks after the province announced plans to further entrench its dependence on a measly four private firms. The ultimate objective is to make overall industry operations more efficient.
The return to these agencies highlights the priority need for nursing positions to be filled. Front-line hospitals in Swan River and Dauphin are currently overwhelmed by dire staff shortages. Emergency departments are functioning with a dangerous level of understaffing, putting patient safety and quality of care at risk.
Staffing Shortages Prompt Agency Reinstatement
On January 15, Manitoba rescinded contracts with dozens of private nursing agencies. They shared that this decision was made in line with a broader strategy to avoid using outside staffing solutions. We understand that this is an incredibly difficult decision with far-reaching implications. “Clearly we were not in a position to be ready to go with that,” said Darlene Jackson, president of the Manitoba Nurses Union. “We had some facilities in crisis with no staff — Dauphin, Swan River, Pine Falls.”
Staffing shortages forced Dauphin’s hospital to temporarily close a four-bed unit. In Swan River, meanwhile, the emergency department is in crisis mode. It’s doing so with half the necessary nurses, and many shifts are left entirely unstaffed.
The province’s health minister, Uzoma Asagwara, acknowledged that the decision to revert to some dropped agencies was necessary to manage the crisis effectively. He stated that “regions are being supported to manage patient safety in real time,” emphasizing that allowing flexibility in staffing is crucial for ensuring safe care.
A Shift in Strategy
Manitoba’s strategy initially aimed at consolidating its nursing agency resources to four primary firms: Elite Intellicare Staffing, Integra Health, Bayshore HealthCare, and Augury Healthcare. The province’s dependence on private, for-profit agencies has increased as much as 400%. After flattening to $26.9 million for 2020-21, spending is expected to leap to $80 million by 2024-25.
Jackson expressed her concern about this shift. “On one hand, I don’t agree with going back to agency, but for the nurse’s sake and for patient care’s sake, I think there’s nothing else we can do at this point,” she remarked. Her statements reflect a broader sentiment among healthcare professionals worried about the sustainability of relying on private agencies for essential staffing needs.
Manitoba’s public system now features a float pool of 630 nurses, up from only 280 a year ago. Yet, the need for nurses continues to outpace the supply by nearly 200,000. Hospitals are still struggling to keep those beds staffed.
Addressing Long-Term Solutions
Critics of the recent policy changes argue that the government should have anticipated these staffing issues before implementing cuts to agency contracts. As Kathleen Cook pointed out, the government could have piloted the new policy in areas where agencies aren’t as heavily relied upon. This would allow them to raise the bar on fulfilling current vacancies in Prairie Mountain Health.
As a result, she noted, “they essentially handcuffed the RHA and took the agency option away from them.” This dissenting opinion merely adds to the chorus calling for a more strategic approach to healthcare staffing. We need to balance the need to place patients in beds today with addressing systemic workforce issues tomorrow.
