Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the Northwest Territories health care system has seen a dramatic increase in the use of private agency nurses since the COVID1-19 pandemic. Many Northerners are concerned about the costs of agency nurses and their impact on health care staff recruitment and retention.
I have questions for the Minister of Health and Social Services:
- Can the Minister provide a breakdown of the total costs for public agency nurses by fiscal year since 2019-2020;.
- Can the Minister provide a breakdown of the total costs for private? Agency nurses based on expenditure categories, those being salaries, overtime, per diems, travel, accommodations, performance bonuses, and any other form of remuneration;.
- Can the Minister provide the total number of nursing staff positions in the public service that could be funded from an equivalent expenditure as on agency nurses;.
- Can the Minister provide the total number of registered nurses recruited to the public service since 2019-2020; and,
- Can the Minister provide the total number of registered nurses who have been terminated, retired, or otherwise left their employment since 2019-2020?
Thank you, Mr. Speaker.