NAPE sounds alarm on medical laboratory assistant shortage after cancelled bloodwork appointments

The union representing medical laboratory assistants (MLAs) in Newfoundland and Labrador is raising the alarm after staffing shortages caused cancelled medical appointments on Wednesday. 

The Newfoundland and Labrador Association of Public and Private Employees (NAPE) president Jerry Earle said hundreds of patients have been told their blood-work appointments were cancelled.

Newfoundland and Labrador Health Services announced a temporary reduction in services at the Health Sciences Centre in St. John’s, “including no routine blood collection for inpatients, outpatients, clinics, or emergency.”

“That means that somebody booked an appointment probably two weeks out [and] found out today that that appointment now is not available and [is] going to be delayed further,” said Earle.

“That’s a patient that’s waiting on that blood work to find out what the next steps are in their health-care journey.”

Earle said this isn’t the first time this has happened.

He said similar notices have been posted before, and that he knows the clinic on Major’s Path is also currently short on staff. 

“We now know at least 30 per cent of those appointments, people are going to be notified they’re cancelled,” said Earle. 

CBC News asked NLHS for comment, but did not receive a response at the time of publishing. 

Long weeks

Earle said he has heard about “alarming” work conditions from MLAs in the province, and at least three quit last week with others taking leave due to what he said was the workplace environment. 

He said MLAs have also told him that on one day a health-care facility needed to service 160 patients, but only had two MLAs available. 

“There’s actually been communication sent out by management saying that they have to prioritize certain services and telling others that [they’ve been] outright cancelled or to expect extended delays,” said Earle. 

The shortages are burning out the MLAs who are working, said Earle, adding that sometimes they are forced to work for seven days straight. 

“That is not acceptable,” said Earle. 

But another factor is the lack of available education to train more, Earle continued. 

He said the College of the North Atlantic used to have two programs, but now only has one in Grand Falls-Windsor. He also said phlebotomy courses, which teach assistants how to draw blood, have also been delayed. 

“It’s not fair to the workers and it’s not fair to Newfoundlanders and Labradorians,” he said.

Earle said if the government doesn’t address this problem, NAPE will take much more aggressive action.

Meanwhile, the NDP raised concerns about a poster they say was posted at the Health Sciences Centre in St. John’s on Wednesday, advising that all blood work appointments are cancelled because of staff shortages. 

“Not only are patients with appointments being turned away, but shockingly, emergency patients in need of critical blood testing will not have access to these laboratory services provincewide,” the party wrote in a statement.

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