September 22, 2025

Lewisporte, NL– Progressive Conservative Leader Tony Wakehamtoday announced a key part of his healthcare plan: expanding in-person healthcare for families, seniors, and communities across Newfoundland and Labrador. Wakeham was joined by Mark Butt the PC candidate for Lewisporte-Twillingate.

“Mark Butt will be a strong MHA for Lewisporte-Twillingate. With deep roots in the district, he understands the challenges that residents have in accessing healthcare. Mark will help us reduce wait times, and bring more healthcare professionals to Lewisporte-Twillngate because he believes in better healthcare for all of us,” said Wakeham

Wakeham noted that in recent months, the Lewisporte Health Centre Emergency Department was left without an in-person doctor on multiple occasions, leaving patients to receive care virtually through a screen. Wakeham also noted that in Lewisporte a beautiful, new family medicine clinic sits empty because the Liberals failed to recruit and retain healthcare Professionals.

“There was once a time when Newfoundlanders and Labradorians watched crime on television, and saw doctors in their communities. Now, crime is in our communities and doctors are on our screens,” said Wakeham. “My plan will put doctors, nurse practitioners, and nurses back in our communities and in our emergency rooms.”

To provide better healthcare for all of us by returning healthcare workers to communities,Wakeham said a Progressive Conservative government will:

● End the cycle of rural ER closures and diversions by hiring more ER doctors, nurse practitioners, and nurses to ensure every shift is covered.

● Bring nurse practitioners and family doctors here — and keep them here. We’ll make Newfoundland and Labrador the place they want to build their careers, with overhead support and incentives to help them set up clinics and help patients.

● Adopt the recommendation of the Registered Nurses’ Union and launch a province-wide program that brings Registered Nurses and Nurse Practitioners to rural, remote, and underserved communities. This will reduce the reliance on out-of-province travel nurses.

● Overhaul the system to train, recruit and retain more healthcare professionals. This includes adding 50 more spaces to the MUN School of Nursing, expanding the medical school, and doubling the Nurse Practitioner program. We will entice healthcare workers to stay in the province with paid work-terms, job offers at the beginning of their studies, and a tuition refund.

“The Liberals had ten years to fix this and failed. They gave up on rural Newfoundland and Labrador,” said Wakeham. “I will never give up on rural Newfoundland and Labrador. A PC government will deliver better healthcare, lower taxes, and safer communities for all of us”