Two years after awarding a $1.42 million contract to Deloitte Canada, the provincial government has publicly released a comprehensive Health Human Resources Plan. Announced on Thursday, May 29, 2025, this plan aims to build and sustain a robust health workforce in the province, as recommended by Health Accord NL. Minister of Health, Krista Lynn Howell, emphasized that the primary objective is to stabilize the health workforce over the next decade.
The plan includes a 10-year forecast for workforce requirements across 21 health professions, including registered nurses, licensed practical nurses, social workers, paramedics, lab technicians, assistants, and pharmacists. It also anticipates additional data on 36 physician specialties, according to Howell.
Key Recommendations
The report offers over 100 recommendations accepted by the government to ensure the workforce can meet residents’ needs. These recommendations are concentrated in three core areas:
Retention: Focused on improving workplace experience, compensation, and sustainability.
Recruitment: Emphasizes continued investment, partnerships, compensation, and outreach.
Automation: Aims to reduce non-clinical workloads to enable more focus on patient care.
Recruitment and Retention Strategies
Howell described the plan as a blueprint to guide NL Health Services (NLHS) and the Department of Health and Community Services in future recruitment and retention strategies. “It is a tool now that we can use to model how our recruitment and retention efforts will unfold and how we can better support the workforce through the health-care system in all areas, with a specific focus on the 21 professions,” said Howell.
Although the data and projections in the plan date back to 2022, Howell noted that several updates have been made to change this baseline. As part of the announcement, she shared recent recruitment data, revealing that since April 2023, 140 physicians and 1,100 nurses have been recruited. Notably, 90% of this year’s Bachelor of Science Nursing graduates have accepted full-time or temporary full-time positions with NLHS. Additionally, 193 international nurses from India and Dubai have already arrived in the province.
Timing of the Release
Despite the plan’s reliance on older data and lacking some physician specialty information, Howell explained the urgency of its release. She asserted that NLHS and the department did not want to delay further, emphasizing the document as a framework for addressing the remaining work. “We wanted to have it out there so we can look at the projections and build our plan accordingly,” Howell stated.
Next Steps
Completing the physician workforce analysis remains a priority, with ongoing efforts to engage stakeholders such as unions, regulatory bodies, and health-care staff. Howell highlighted that continuous discussions with these groups will make the path forward more concrete and decisive.
Criticism and Concerns
Opposition health critic Barry Petten expressed concerns, describing the plan as disconnected from the current realities faced by the people of Newfoundland and Labrador. He criticized it for not adequately addressing ER crises, rural care, or doctor shortages. NDP leader Jim Dinn echoed these sentiments, challenging the government to act on the blueprint rather than ignore the pressing issues.
From the Registered Nurses Union, President Yvette Coffey criticized the report for failing to capture the daily challenges faced by nurses and patients. Coffey outlined demands including a core staffing review, safe hours legislation, the establishment of an Independent Health Sector Safety Council, and enforceable safe nurse-patient ratios. “Progress means relief on the front lines — not just plans on paper,” Coffey asserted.
Note: This article is inspired by content from https://www.saltwire.com/newfoundland-labrador/government-nlhs-release-health-human-resource-plan-aiming-to-stabilize-workforce. It has been rephrased for originality. Images are credited to the original source.