(June 14, 2022) – Paul Dinn, PC Official Opposition Shadow Minister for Health and Community Services and MHA for Topsail-Paradise, and Jeff Dwyer, PC Official Opposition Shadow Minister for Children, Seniors, and Social Development and MHA for Placentia West-Bellevue, are expressing their concern after media reports show an 85-year old man spent 20 days in a hallway awaiting a bed.

“The Hall family are facing an extraordinary situation which no family should have to face. For Mr. Hall to spend 20 days in emergency waiting for a bed is unacceptable. Access to healthcare when and where it’s needed is a major problem in our province. Could this situation have gone differently had Mr. Hall been placed in a long-term care facility, as was recommended ten months ago?” said Dinn.

“Whether its access to healthcare, whether it’s the shortage of long-term care beds, or whether it’s the failure to recruit healthcare professionals to ease the burden on frontline staff, the Minister has failed. After seven years in power, these difficult stories continue to be told. It’s unacceptable.”

Dwyer says seniors cannot be left behind in our healthcare system.

“Seniors should not have to face these situations. The family states they are concerned ‘the elderly are not important’ in our healthcare system. That should be an alarm bell for this government to take the concerns expressed by this family seriously,” said Dwyer.

“This disturbing situation should be investigated by the Departments of Health and Children, Seniors, and Social Development to understand the systemic failures in this case and understand how they can be avoided in the future. Seniors cannot be allowed to fall through the cracks of our institutions. Government must act.”

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Contacts:

David Maher

Director of Strategic Communications

(cell) 709-725-0984

DavidMaher@gov.nl.ca