NL Health Services makes strides in annual Performance Report

On Tuesday, Newfoundland and Labrador Health Services held its annual general meeting. NL Health Services also provided an overview of its performance based on the final year of its strategic plan.

Several highlights were noted in the implementation of its strategic plan.

The health authority responded to significant tuberculosis and syphilis outbreaks in Labrador, while strengthening partnerships with Indigenous communities and signed memorandum of understandings with both Qalipu First Nation and Miawpukek First Nation.

It also opened multiple new sites to reduce the need for an alternative level of care for patients who remain in a hospital bed even though they no longer need hospital-level care. These include a 50-bed ALC unit and 20-bed transitional unit at Chancellor Park, additional beds at Western Memorial Regional Hospital, and a new 12-bed ALC unit at Central Newfoundland Regional Health Centre.

Reductions were made in the percentage of residents in long-term care who are potentially receiving inappropriate use of antipsychotics. There was an enhancement of the appropriateness of care over the last two years with the introduction of standardized care pathways in primary and emergency care, surgery, and older adult services to ensure care is provided in the most appropriate setting.

There was an increase in the number of people who received care from family care teams by 58 percent this year, from 78,500 last year to over 124,000. Increased surgeries were completed in areas such as coronary artery bypass grafts.

There was a decreased reliance on and spending on agency nursing, with a 17.7 percent decrease this year in the number of agency nurses. Since 2024, we have had an overall decrease of 49.4 percent in agency staff. Over the last fiscal year, we also decreased spending on agency nursing by 44 percent.

There was an expansion of mental health and addictions services through online services and the opening of the new 102-bed Mental Health and Addictions Centre.

Reduced surgery and diagnostic wait times, and reduced MRI wait times were also noted.

Over the past year, it also launched CorCare, along with 18 innovation initiatives focused on health priorities, exceeding the targeted eight. It began 41 translational research studies for patient recruitment, increased the number of frontline staff and leadership who have completed education towards the creation of a learning health and social system throughout the organization, and formalized the diversity, equity, inclusion and reconciliation council.