Nurses' union doubles down on concerns over possible move of gynecology to Janeway

Jenna Head · CBC News

· Posted: Apr 18, 2025 10:30 AM EDT | Last Updated: 2 minutes ago

Newfoundland and Labrador's registered nurses' national is doubling down connected its interest implicit the imaginable relocation of gynecology attraction to the Janeway children's infirmary and however it could negatively interaction women's health.

Newfoundland and Labrador Medical Association (NLMA) and the nurses' national were prepared to big a associated quality league connected Wednesday to knock a program to determination gynecological services but it was cancelled after Dr. Pat Parfrey, CEO of Newfoundland and Labrador Health Services, spoke with the the organizations implicit Zoom.

While the NLMA, which includes the province's pediatricians arsenic members, decided to springiness Parfrey the payment of the doubt, nurses' national president Yvette Coffey says she isn't consenting to bash the same.

In a statement, Coffey says Parfrey started the gathering by saying nary program had been finalized to determination gynecology attraction and immoderate accusation astir the redevelopment of the Janeway was "just rumour."

Coffey had antecedently voiced her disapproval of a imaginable determination to CBC News.

In the 2025-26 provincial budget, $3 cardinal is earmarked to statesman the process of moving gynecology attraction from the Health Sciences Centre adjacent doorway to the Janeway.

To telephone the determination "just rumour", she says, is not typical of reality.

"What was the connection used — 'There was ne'er immoderate program to determination gynecological services to the Janeway. It was each rumours.' And the rumours were past politicized," Coffey told CBC News.

"Not by anyone successful particular, but you know, hello, me, RNU."

Earlier this week, Coffey said a determination would mean immoderate women would present a stillborn babe connected the gynecological level of the children's hospital.

"To beryllium connected the aforesaid unit, listening to newborn babies outcry oregon to spot children moving astir similar successful the Janeway, like, that's cruel," she said.

The state says it's taking cues from the Izaak Walton Killam Hospital (IWK) for Children successful Halifax, which besides offers gynecological care.

"They person women's wellness successful the IWK children's hospital, and they've recovered it's worked highly well," interim Health Minister John Haggie told reporters past week.

Coffey says the Janeway is not the IWK. 

"It's not 'apples to apples.' They really person 2 abstracted buildings astatine each of those sites, not 1 building," she said.

The nurses' national is besides acrophobic astir the workload of immoderate of their nurses, arsenic the gynecological unit volition beryllium moving with the unit.

"Who is going to unit the bare beds that they near behind?" Coffey asked.

Haggie pointed to the province's nursing recruitment levels. He says 760 registered nurses were recruited successful the past calendar twelvemonth — Coffey questions whether those numbers volition adequately capable the health-care system's gaps. 

"We're basing our staffing needs and the numbers of patients successful beds, not the existent acuity of that patient, what's going connected with that patient," she said.

Coffey wants to spot consultation delivered with enactment that listens to the concerns of nurses arsenic plans to redevelop the Janeway continue. 

"This is not a governmental issue. It's a women's issue. It's a children's issue."

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