The head of New Brunswick’s Horizon Health Network has released a video calling for wide-ranging improvements to the province’s health care system.
John McGarry, chair of Horizon’s board of governors, says 320 nurses need to be hired every year for the next five years to meet the level of services currently offered in the province.
“If we’re unable to fill our nursing vacancies we won’t be able to maintain our current services and we’ll be forced to close certain units and reduce service,” said McGarry, in the video published on Horizon’s Youtube channel Monday.
READ MORE: Hospital overcrowding, staff shortages have more nurses seeking medical leave, says NBNU
McGarry doesn’t lay the blame at any one group’s feet, instead calling on all parties in the health care debate to step up.
“It’s time for all of us — health authorities, government, unions, associations and universities — to immediately come together and address the seriousness of this issue now,” said McGarry, adding that the shortage is affecting every area of the province, including hospital and community settings as well as rural and urban centres.
McGarry says every province across Canada is having challenges in recruiting nurses but points to New Brunswick-specific problems that need to be solved.
The board chair criticizes the decision by the New Brunswick government to cut almost $9 million in funding for nursing programs at the University of New Brunswick and Université de Moncton.
WATCH: New Brunswick government, universities split over recent changes to nursing funding
It’s a decision McGarry calls “simply bad policy.”
“Personally, I find this very troubling,” he said.
“Why would the number of seats be reduced when there is an immediate need that will continue well into the future? Don’t we want New Brunswickers to stay in our province and have well paying jobs?”
A request for comment with New Brunswick’s Department of Health went unanswered by the time of publication.
McGarry says university seats will not meet the need in the province and that New Brunswick must look elsewhere for internationally trained nurses to help fill the gap.
“That’s why it’s important for the Nursing Association of New Brunswick to develop a plan to recognize and integrate the skills from other countries into our health care system,” he said.
READ MORE: New Brunswick nursing shortage hurting efforts to train the next generation
The board chair says he is just highlighting the solutions “he’s aware of” and that he believes there are many more out there.
“This situation is not going to solve itself and it’s certainly not going to get better. We have an aging population and the need for health care services will increase,” he said.
“We need to get our heads out of the sand and tackle this critical nursing shortage.”
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