FOIPOP shows Liberals failed to create long-term care panel recommended in 2017

HALIFAX - A Freedom of Information request obtained by the NDP Caucus shows the Liberal government failed to appoint an expert panel on long-term care for almost two years. An internal plan shows that expert panels were part of the strategy to renew the Continuing Care Strategy as far back as early 2017. The current expert panel on long-term care was only appointed in September 2018.

“Why did the Liberal government wait all this time to call an expert panel to study the issues in long-term care?” said NDP Leader Gary Burrill. “People have been raising concerns about the state of nursing homes for several years now, but it was only once families came forward about the treatment of their relatives that the government stopped dragging its feet.”

The McNeil Liberals have cut over $5 million in funding to nursing homes, and have failed to build any new nursing home beds in their five years in power. Twenty per cent of all hospital beds in the province are occupied by people waiting for a spot in long-term care.

“Patients and their families have been sounding the alarm for some time now. We’ve seen horrible stories about bedsores and long wait times for long-term care,” said Tammy Martin, NDP Health spokesperson. “Instead of action, we have seen delay after delay, and now it’s clear that this expert panel was recommended years ago and Stephen McNeil failed to act. Seniors deserve better.”

The NDP Caucus is eagerly anticipating the release of the expert panel’s findings later this week.

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