P.E.I. bill aims to remove hurdle to recruit international, off-Island health workers
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CHARLOTTETOWN, P.E.I. — Premier Dennis King’s PCs imagine a brand new invoice earlier than the P.E.I. legislature will take away a significant barrier to the recruitment of worldwide and off-Island well being employees.
The invoice, an modification to the Regulated Health Professions Act, would take away the requirement that docs, nurses and different well being professionals have a letter of fine standing from all nations or provinces by which they’ve beforehand practised earlier than being licensed in P.E.I.
The brand new invoice would require well being employees to don’t have any disciplinary issues on their file that may render them “unsuitable” to practise of their career.
The invoice was launched on Might 16 by the province’s new well being minister, Mark McLane
In an interview within the halls of the Coles constructing on Might 17, McLane mentioned the invoice is a “first step” within the strategy of easing the regulatory hurdles that maintain well being professionals from working within the province.
McLane mentioned the legislated requirement to get a letter of understanding has restricted recruitment efforts for docs.
“For those who’ve practised in Nova Scotia, Ontario, B.C. within the final 10 years, it is advisable go to these three jurisdictions to get letters of fine standing,” McLane mentioned. “For those who’ve practised in a foreign country, that is tough to do. A few of these timelines get very lengthy and if different jurisdictions haven’t got these necessities, we lose out on a capability to draw that place.”
He mentioned the province plans to place in place the identical measures as Alberta and Nova Scotia, which have allowed foreign-trained nurses to practise.
Nova Scotia’s modifications have allowed nurses educated within the Philippines, India, Nigeria, the U.S., the UK, Australia and New Zealand to grow to be licensed in weeks. The method has usually taken greater than a 12 months previous to the modifications.
Alberta’s modifications included the identical nations, together with Jamaica and Eire. Most of the nurses who’ve since been registered have been already dwelling within the nation however weren’t working of their area.
The Nova Scotia Faculty of Nursing has reported it obtained greater than 10,000 purposes after the modifications have been made final month.
Easing hurdles nonetheless requires regulation
If the invoice is handed, McLane mentioned cupboard would nonetheless must make modifications to laws for every of the well being professions. The particular nations the province would align its licensure with could be set out in these laws.
“We have all seen the few nations that align properly with Canada. So, I believe we might begin there,” McLane mentioned. “We might go sluggish to start out, to not forged the web too far.”
In an e mail, Melissa MacDonald, chief working officer of the P.E.I. Faculty of Physicians and Surgeons, mentioned the province has been working with the faculty on the modifications.
MacDonald mentioned the faculty would nonetheless regulate and self-discipline practising physicians within the province and would anticipate docs to be in good standing.
P.E.I.’s Faculty of Registered Nurses and Midwives declined to touch upon the brand new invoice because it has not but been handed within the legislature.
MLAs will debate the invoice throughout this spring’s legislative sitting.
On Might 1, P.E.I., Nova Scotia, New Brunswick and Newfoundland and Labrador all launched a regional Atlantic doctor registry, which permits docs to be licensed to practise all through the area for an annual $500 price.
The registration course of might recruit new physicians and will assist make the method of recruiting locums to the province simpler.
Stu Neatby is a political reporter with SaltWire in Prince Edward Island. He could be reached by e mail at [email protected] and adopted on Twitter @stu_neatby.
