N.B. news: Travel nurses contracts committee meeting continues [Video]

The New Brunswick Department of Social Development is the third government body to answer questions at a legislative committee meeting focused on the $173 million spent on travel nursing contracts.

Deputy Minister Jim Mehan described the situation as urgent, which is why the department spent almost $3 million on obtaining travel nurses from two private companies to fill gaps in the long-term care sector.

Those two companies – Plan A and Canadian Health Labs – were the two private agencies the department signed contracts with, between February and July of 2022.

But Mehan said the contracts were shorter in length because the department knew there would be complications in bringing in out-of-province nurses, like the differences in pay.

“We tried to keep it as short as possible. The effort was get in, get the support we needed and get out,” he said.

Progressive Conservative MLA Ross Wetmore acknowledged the need. He said at least one long-term care …