Medical association willing to 'wait and see' health authority's plan for Janeway
Pediatricians opposed to gynecology potentially relocating to children's hospital
Groups representing doctors and nurses in Newfoundland and Labrador were prepared to host a joint news conference on Wednesday, criticizing the plan to move gynecological services to the Janeway children's hospital.
However, that conference was cancelled after Dr. Pat Parfrey, CEO of Newfoundland and Labrador Health Services, met with the medial association and the nurses' union over Zoom.
"Dr. Parfrey has been in the role for two or three months now, and some of it is trying to give him some time and opportunity to work through some of these issues," said Newfoundland and Labrador Medical Association president Dr. Steve Major.
But while the NLMA opted to give the provincial health authority the benefit of the doubt, the nurses' union didn't feel the same.
In a statement, the Registered Nurses' Union of Newfoundland and Labrador (RNUNL) said the morning meeting with Parfrey left them with more questions than answers, claiming there's a lack of transparency over if the move of gynecological services is just a proposed idea or an actual plan.
Beyond the Janeway vision
Despite those concerns, Major described Parfrey as a "doer." and that the CEO is committed to working with front-line staff as they look at moving the women's health unit to the Janeway.
"I'm hoping that we'll have more engagement," Major said. "Some of the problems we see in the system are that front-line workers, whether they are nurses, doctors or other health-care providers, are not necessarily engaged when decisions are made."
Major says a lack of engagement causes many health-care professionals to worry that patient outcomes will be compromised if decisions are not made appropriately.
This comes in the wake of pediatricians drafting a 30-page report on the potential move outlining their concerns.
Parfrey says he understands the pushback coming from physicians.
"There's no doubt that the pediatricians are against it because they feel that the Janeway should be a children-only clinic, a children-only hospital," he said.
But Parfrey's concerns span beyond the walls of the Janeway. He says the move would fill beds that are otherwise empty.
"You got approximately 30 patients that are in corridors every day that are waiting to be admitted to the Health Sciences Centre," he said.
No timeline
Despite including the Janeway's redevelopment plan in the 2025 provincial budget, both Parfrey and interim Health Minister John Haggie maintain there isn't a timeline for moving obstetrics and gynecology to the Janeway.
"That's part and parcel of the discussion," Haggie said.
For the NLMA, the benefit of the doubt doesn't mean submission to the health authorities' plans.
Major says moving gynecological services to the Janeway isn't how NLHS should fix the system, but they are willing to hear them out.
"I think basically at this point, we're willing to wait and see where things go," he said.
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