FREDERICTON – After learning that the Department of Health will no longer fund diagnostic and laboratory tests ordered by nurse practitioners who are working outside of the public healthcare system, Green Health Critic and MLA for Memramcook-Tantramar Megan Mitton says that it is time for the government to bring all nurse practitioners into the public system by allowing them to bill Medicare for the services they provide.

“It defies logic that we have primary healthcare practitioners who are willing to work, but unable to work within our public system,” said Mitton. “We have a shortage of primary healthcare providers, so why aren’t we paying these professionals to provide healthcare services and reduce the waiting list in our province?”

Green Party Leader and MLA for Fredericton South David Coon adds that he has been advocating for this change since he was first elected in 2014.

“For years, successive governments have committed to fully utilizing nurse practitioners, while only making incremental changes to hire more nurse practitioners at the regional health authorities,” said Coon. “It is time to make this change to improve healthcare outcomes for New Brunswickers.”