aahp calls on province to expand core staffing review to include allied health professionals
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
๐ฆ๐. ๐๐ผ๐ต๐ปโ๐, ๐ก๐ – The Association of Allied Health Professionals (AAHP) is calling on the Government of Newfoundland and Labrador to expand its newly announced โcore staffing reviewโ to include the provinceโs many allied health professionalsโcritical frontline workers whose expertise is essential to safe, efficient, and high-quality patient care.
The AAHP welcomes any initiative aimed at strengthening the health-care workforce. However, the union is very concerned that significant gaps will be overlooked unless the review includes all health professionals who play a vital role across the broader health-care teams. Without a full interdisciplinary staffing assessment, AAHP warns the province risks implementing solutions that fail to address the root causes of patient delays, service disruptions, and system-wide strain.
โAllied health professionals are not optional add-ons to the systemโ they are essential to diagnosis, treatment, rehabilitation, mental health, and safe discharge,โ said Gord Piercey, President of AAHP. โA staffing review that excludes allied health leaves out a massive part of what patients rely on every day.โ
Allied health professionals include respiratory therapists, physiotherapists, occupational therapists, psychologists, dietitians, social workers, pharmacists, speech-language pathologists, and dozens of other highly specialized clinicians. These professions provide the diagnostics, therapies, and critical supports that make timely careโand effective nursing and physician workโpossible.
Yet many allied health services across the province face:
โข chronic staffing shortages
โข unsustainable workloads
โข recruitment and retention challenges
โข burnout and high vacancy rates
โข service delays and temporary shutdowns
โIf the goal is to improve patient care, create safer workplaces, and stabilize the system, then the staffing review must be expanded,โ said Piercey. โYou cannot build a sustainable health-care workforce by examining one profession in isolation.โ
AAHP is urging the province to:
1. Expand the core staffing review to include all allied health occupations.
2. Establish profession-specific staffing benchmarks, like those being considered for nursing.
3. Consult directly with AAHP during workforce planning, ensuring accurate data and real frontline insight.
4. Develop targeted recruitment and retention strategies for allied-health professions experiencing the most severe shortages.
โWe are here for our members, and we are here for the health-care system,โ said Piercey. โA stronger, safer, more sustainable system depends on the full teamโ not just one part of it.โ
AAHP looks forward to working collaboratively with government to ensure all allied health professionals are included in the provinceโs long-term staffing and workforce strategy.
๐๐ฏ๐ผ๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ฃ
The Association of Allied Health Professionals represents more than 900 highly trained allied health clinicians working in Newfoundland and Labradorโs public health-care system. AAHP advocates for safe working conditions, fair compensation, professional recognition, and strong public services that support patients across every region of the province.
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๐ ๐ฒ๐ฑ๐ถ๐ฎ ๐๐ผ๐ป๐๐ฎ๐ฐ๐:
๐๐ฟ๐ถ๐ป ๐๐๐ฟ๐ฟ๐ฎ๐ป
Communications, AAHP
709-325-7193
erin@lupinecommunications.com