New Brunswick proposes bill to end private nursing contracts

The New Brunswick government has proposed a new law to cancel contracts for private nursing services. Officials say this move aims to end a specific agreement between the Vitalité Health Network and an Ontario company, Canadian Health Labs. Health Minister John Dornan announced the bill, highlighting its goal to save taxpayers money. Last June, a report revealed that between January 2022 and February 2024, the Vitalité Health Network paid over $123 million for private nursing services. This included $98 million paid to Canadian Health Labs. Dornan described the current contract as costly and "unfair" to the public. He emphasized that the government is focused on recruiting and training more nurses to strengthen the public health-care system. This bill is seen as a step toward improving local healthcare services.