The Nurses Union was disappointed that none of the recommendations it made were in yesterday’s budget.

RNU President Yvette Coffey says among the suggestions the union made was greater use of travel locums – a pilot project introduced in Labrador by the union which it says has seen great success.

Coffey says it travel locums employing local nurses is a way to address gaps in the delivery of health care in rural and remote areas without relying on expensive travel nurses hired through private companies.

She calls it a missed opportunity.

She says using travel locums provides greater access to health care, and to reduce the number of facilities on diversion, “and decreases the exorbitant cost of travel agency nurses at cost of $312.00 an hour compared to our travel locums, which are an extra $25 an hour.”