Demands for accountability continue after unveiling of ‘ridiculous’ travel nurse contracts by N.B. auditor general

New Brunswick Health Minister Bruce Fitch has written a letter to the Vitalité Health Network, urging it to hand over three internal audits to the auditor general’s office.

He said the audits might have answers many are looking for regarding travel nurse contracts worth millions of dollars.

However, Vitalité’s CEO has said it’s in dispute with one of the companies and disclosing those documents could put that in jeopardy.

It all adds to questions being asked over who’s responsible for the signing of at least some of those contracts – contracts that have been called “risky,” “disappointing,” “shocking,” and “ridiculous.”

An audit found some contracts had an auto-renewal clause, or weren’t signed by both parties, or signed by the wrong person altogether.

When asked if Fitch feels like the province was taken advantage of at a desperate time – specifically by one company – he did admit the cost was “exorbitant.”

“Well predator pricing,” he said. “I don’t know what you want to call it, when somebody takes advantage of a dire situation. I think there’s some rules of business and engagement that should be followed but I just think the price point was exorbitant.”

Fitch became health minister in the summer of 2022. A week later, one of the contracts in question was signed with Vitalité. Two others were signed that fall. He said he was aware of them but that they fell under the purview of the regional health authorities.

He said he became concerned after seeing the numbers during the annual budgetary review in the spring of 2023.

The health authorities maintain the situation was emergent, that staffing levels at the time were not sustainable. And Fitch agrees, saying the conversation would be different had the travel nurses not been an option.

“When I visit the Miramichi emergency room and see eight travel nurses, if they weren’t there, it would be shutdown,” he told reporters.

Green Party MLA and health critic, Megan Mitton, said accountability still needs to be upheld.

“In emergency situations, yeah maybe that was the only option. But the way it was done, I’m extremely concerned with, whether it’s social development, Horizon, Vitalité, whatever. Some of the contracts are ridiculous,” she said. “Having automatic renewal for five years? Some of them not even being signed? Being signed by the wrong person?”

A letter has also been sent to the public accounts committee, demanding it call on the health networks and the Department of Health to appear and answer questions on the contracts.

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