The town of Trepassey was added to the list of Newfoundland and Labrador communities that lost their only doctor, prompting residents to gather outside a community clinic on Thursday to mourn the loss of a doctor who wanted to stay. Dr. Heather Candy has been with the clinic for the past three years, including 2 years without a contract. When the doctor’s job started, she applied and was offered the job. But Cuddy, who said she fell in love with the community and owns it, dismissed it, saying Eastern Health’s offer was insufficient. “To say I felt underestimated would be derogatory,” Candy told CBC News on Thursday. “It was very frustrating for me as a doctor, and I’m sure for patients who suddenly feel left a little high and dry with a new provider.” Trepassey is a radius in a network in which Holyrood is the central hub. Cuddy said the job description included two days at Trepassey, one day at Ferryland (another spoke) and two days at Holyrood Virtual Care Center. Candy said she wanted access to a company vehicle and to include travel time in her working day, which she said is offered to the clinic nurse. She said that the many days and time she spends traveling are difficult for her, as she is a mother of three teenagers and, for example, the requirement to be in Trepassey until 8:30 a.m. can not work, as he lives 150 kilometers away. “They were rejected completely, with absolutely no negotiation. Even when I discussed a carpooling option, there was not much acceptance at this point,” he said. She said this did not make sense to her, as she could drive 30 minutes from her home at Conception Bay South in Holyrood and be more than two hours away from her patients on the South Coast. Instead, he suggested spending the two days at Holyrood in Trepassey, an idea he said he also rejected. One last point, and one Cuddy said she was most upset about, was that there was no countryside allowance negotiation for doctors working in communities far from urban centers – in her case, she said, the bonus should have been $ 7,500 for in the first year. “I saw no problem with that. If I serve the city and the people of a Category 1 city, then why not deserve this farm benefit? They totally refused to consider it and said my address should be considered Holyrood.” said Candy. “The problem with that is that in the new agreement between the government and him [Newfoundland and Labrador Medical Association]Holyrood is no longer eligible for the agricultural allowance. “ Trepassey residents gathered on Thursday to demand that Eastern Health reconsider its offer to Cuddy. (Mark Quinn / CBC) Trepassey Mayor Rita Pennell said Thursday that Cuddy’s condition is difficult to understand. She said its residents, most of whom are elderly, are really upset. “Without a doctor, we only have one ambulance and we are two hours away from a hospital,” Pennell said. “It’s really, very sad.” Residents gathered Thursday morning, angry with Eastern Health for not reaching an agreement with Cuddy. Pennell said the community wants Eastern Health to reconsider its offer. “The distance from medical care as well as work so far from support must be taken into account,” Pennell said.
Continuation of recruitments
Melissa Coish, Eastern Health’s regional director of primary health care and chronic disease management and prevention, said she could not comment on individual negotiations, but said Cuddy and Pennell’s understanding of the situation was “unfortunate”. Coish said the post was published as a node in Holyrood with rays in St. Louis. Mary’s, Ferryland and Trepassey. He said having a center in Holyrood would mean a complete team for the doctor. He said there are about 400 residents each in Trepassey and Ferryland. “The expectation would be that we as a health authority would have to respond to the care of the people in the area and increase access to the area. If your center is in Holyrood and you have your team wrapped up, then we absolutely expect patients to visit there. as well as the supply [care] in Trepassey and Ferryland, “Coish said. “When we worked with the department around the center and talked, we got all the team members involved in understanding what we were going to publish.” Coyce said the salary is negotiated through the NLMA and the Department of Health, with compensation and maintenance bonuses dictated by the union’s agreement with the provincial government. As for the benefits provided to nurses, Coish said it is a separate agreement with the Registered Nurses Association. “The clauses are different, so that would dictate some of these differences,” he said. Recruitment to fill the position will continue, Coish said. “We hoped and would continue to hire a doctor to provide services some days of the week in Trepassey and Ferryland and we hope to get there.” He said the health authority was also seeking to recruit specialists in the short term until a full-time doctor was hired. Read more from CBC Newfoundland and Labrador
