NL Health Services has confirmed that its contract with Canadian Health Labs, the company that provides travel nurses to fill gaps in the health care service, has expired in the Western Zone and will not be renewed.
CHL’s contract with the health authority came under scrutiny following a recent Globe and Mail article showing that the provincial government shelled out more than $35 million to the company for travel nurses over a five month period.
CHL’s contract in Central Zone ends April 30th, and there is no immediate word on whether or not it will be renewed.
The Registered Nurses Union says its members in Western Zone were mandated to work overtime when the travel nurse contract came to an end February 28.
The health authority says it is working on recruitment strategies to support staffing levels on the west coast and throughout the province.