Manitoba should focus on filling surgical nursing vacancies, not sending patients out of province: NDP

The Manitoba NDP says the provincial government should focus on boosting surgical capacity at home, after documents showing nearly one in five nursing positions at one of Winnipeg's biggest surgical departments were not filled. 

As of September of last year — the most recent month for which data was available — 18.4 per cent of nursing jobs (37 of 164 positions) at Grace Hospital's surgical ward and 14.4 per cent (33 of 196 positions) at St. Boniface Hospital's were vacant, according to data obtained by the NDP through a freedom of information request.

These vacancy rates fluctuate month to month, but in 2021, averaged under 12 per cent at both hospitals, according to the data. The vacancy rates that year dropped as low as nine per cent at Grace Hospital (in December 2021) and as low as 9.6 per cent at St. Boniface (in March 2021). 

From January to September 2022, the average vacancy rates were 13.9 per cent at Grace, and 15.4 per cent at St. Boniface. 

Pointing to those vacancy rates, NDP Leader Wab Kinew slammed the Progressive Conservative government's program that sends some surgical patients to northwestern Ontario and the U.S. to get their operations faster.

"We know that we're not going to improve health-care in this province by sending our resources to the United States of America," Kinew said at a news conference on Thursday.

The government has maintained out-of-province care is only a temporary solution while the provincial health-care system builds up its ability to perform additional surgeries and diagnostic tests here.

A spokesperson said Thursday the government is pleased with the progress of the diagnostic and surgical recovery task force, which has been mandated to find ways to reduce the pandemic backlogs.

Meanwhile, the province is also making other investments in health care, such as a 2021 pledge to create 400 nurse training seats at post-secondary education institutions over multiple years, the spokesperson said.

The spokesperson also pointed to a November announcment of a $200-million package to recruit, retain and train 2,000 more health-care staff.

That number will include include nurses, doctors and "allied health professionals," the spokesperson said in a statement emailed to CBC.

'We have to be competitive': NDP

But Kinew said he isn't convinced that plan will come to pass any time soon.

"When you're in the last year of your second term in government and all you have to show for your time in office are more press releases and more announcements, that's just not good enough."

The NDP leader says there are nurses available within Manitoba to fill vacancies, but they've been lured to work for private nursing agencies and surgical facilities instead. 

It's incumbent on the Progressive Conservatives, he said, to offer the same incentives the private clinics are offering.

Asked if a NDP government would adopt a similar benefits package, Kinew said it would. 

"We have to be competitive, absolutely," he said.

The NDP leader isn't saying he'd abandon the out-of-province surgery contracts. He first wants the government to unveil the price tag of these procedures, including travel and accommodations costs. 

By early January, 143 out-of-province surgeries have been completed, 81 procedures booked and 89 more in process, through the agreements reached last year, the province said.