Health minister says Eastern Health voiced concerns about Smith's Ambulance for months

Newfoundland and Labrador Health Minister Tom Osborne says Eastern Health voiced its concerns to the government about Smith's Ambulance Services for months.

He also says the government didn't direct Eastern Health to cut the company's contract rather, he says, it was Eastern Health who "wanted government to make this decision."

On Thursday, the health authority announced that Smith's Ambulance Services would no longer provide ambulance services to the Whitbourne area, a town that's been grappling with a months-long emergency room closure.

After making the announcement, some Smith's Ambulance employees say they discovered they lost their jobs through Facebook posts, while some Whitbourne residents voiced their concerns about what one resident called an ongoing "health-care disaster" facing the town and province.

• Smith's Ambulance Services employees discover they lost their jobs from a Facebook post

"I've requested of Eastern Health to contact the neighbouring ambulance services, to ensure that employment opportunities are explored for all employees of Smith's with neighbouring ambulance services," Osborne said Monday.

Osborne said the final decision to remove Smith's Ambulance Services was made by the Department of Health and Community Services, after the health authority voiced concerns to the government about the service for months.

One of Eastern Health's concerns includes an incident that occurred in June, where the health authority accused the private ambulance service of breaching its contract by not responding to a mutual aid call. Osborne wouldn't elaborate on this incident.

Integrating ambulance services

The emergency room at the William H. Newhook Health Centre in Whitbourne has been closed continuously for more than eight months due to a lack of staff. Eastern Health said ambulance services aren't being affected by the change, and Osborne said the health authority is currently providing ambulance servicestaffed by both advanced care and primary care paramedics to the Whitbourne area.

Last June, the government released a 10-year Health Accord blueprint, which includes a recommendation to merge different ambulance bodies into one provincial ambulance system.

Osborne said the government is "actively working on" integrating road and air ambulance services in the province, but details about whatthat would look like and how it would work are still being discussed.

Progressive Conservative health critic Paul Dinnsays the government needs to improve its communication, especially when it comes to issues like ER closures or changes in ambulance services. He also says thatwhile integrating ambulance services sounds like a good plan, it's crucial to discuss the details of how something like this would be carried out.

"It's cold comfort for government to say, 'Oh no, it won't be affected,'" said Dinn about the change in ambulance services. "I don't know how they can say that."

"People out there who need healthcare, they need the assurance that when the time comes and they need it, it's going tobe there The confidence level in that is getting less and less."

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