Patients in Newfoundland and Labrador acute-care hospitals are being denied access to their regular support workers upon admission [1].
This restriction leaves individuals who rely on around-the-clock care without their primary assistance during critical medical stays. For many patients, these workers provide essential daily support that hospital staff may not be equipped to replicate.
Families of these patients and the support workers themselves have reported that hospitals are barring entry to staff who typically manage the patients' needs [1, 2]. The current system creates a gap in care, as there is no established policy allowing these specialized workers to accompany their clients into acute-care settings [2].
The Newfoundland and Labrador Department of Health said it is currently developing a policy to address this issue [1]. This effort follows a recommendation made by the Citizens' Representative three years ago [1].
Despite the recommendation, the province has not yet implemented a formal framework to integrate support workers into the hospital environment. Families argue that the lack of a policy compromises patient well-being, and places additional strain on hospital resources and family members who must fill the void [2].
The Department of Health said it has not provided a specific timeline for when the new policy will be finalized or implemented [1]. Until then, patients admitted to acute-care facilities remain separated from the workers who provide their daily essential support [1, 2].
“Patients in Newfoundland and Labrador acute-care hospitals are being denied access to their regular support workers.”
The delay in implementing this policy highlights a systemic gap between community-based care and acute medical settings. By barring support workers, the healthcare system risks destabilizing the routine of patients with complex needs, potentially prolonging recovery times and increasing the burden on already stretched hospital staff.
