Premier Furey and Minister Osborne Meet With Federal Colleagues on Health Care Agreements

Press Release

February 13, 2023

The Honourable Dr. Andrew Furey, Premier of Newfoundland and Labrador, has initiated the immediate work of negotiating bilateral agreements on health care between the Government of Newfoundland and Labrador and the Government of Canada.

Premier Furey, and the Honourable Tom Osborne, Minister of Health and Community Services, met with the Honourable Dominic LeBlanc, federal Minister of Intergovernmental Affairs, Infrastructure and Communities and the Honourable Jean-Yves Duclos, federal Minister of Health, today in Deer Lake to discuss their alignment on shared priorities for bilateral agreements to improve the health care system for Newfoundlanders and Labradorians.

Premier Furey has directed Minister Osborne to work with Minister Duclos to finalize those bilateral agreements in an accelerated fashion. The Government of Canada is investing nearly $200 billion over 10 years for provinces, territories, and Indigenous Governments to invest in shared priority areas which include:

• Expanding access to family health services, including in rural and remote areas;
• Supporting our health workers and reducing backlogs;
• Improving access to quality mental health and substance use services; and
• Modernizing the health care system with standardized health data and digital tools.

The Provincial Government is committed to its continued work in these areas with its plan for health care that is built on the Health Accord, recognizes post-COVID health care shortages, and addresses short-term needs while creating long-term change. The focus remains the continuous improvement of a health care system – in conjunction with stakeholders – that supports the province’s health profession workforce and better health outcomes for Newfoundlanders and Labradorians.

For more information on recent measures implemented in health care, please click here.

Quotes
“Our government has a plan to improve health care for all Newfoundlanders and Labradorians, and our work is well underway. I see the problems within the system firsthand, and recognize the value of team work – in the hospital and at the table with our federal colleagues. I look forward to finalizing these bilateral agreements with the Federal Government to move forward on our shared health care priorities with increased investment.”
Honourable Dr. Andrew Furey
Premier of Newfoundland and Labrador

“From reducing surgical wait times to creating financial incentives to recruit and retain health care professionals, our government is continuously making improvements to the health care system for the benefit of all Newfoundlanders and Labradorians. I am certain Minister Duclos and I will soon reach bilateral agreements to help strengthen that work.”
Honourable Tom Osborne
Minister of Health and Community Services

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