Manitoba Cuts Nursing Agencies to Strengthen Public Healthcare

The Manitoba government is implementing significant reductions to private nursing agencies, aiming to bolster the public healthcare system. According to the Manitoba Nurses Union (MNU), these cuts should not exacerbate the existing nurse shortage in the Prairie Mountain Health region.

Darlene Jackson, president of the MNU, expressed optimism regarding the changes, stating that the decision could encourage more private agency nurses to transition to public sector roles or join the provincial travel nurse team, which helps address staffing shortages. “I’m fairly confident that this is going to be a great thing for our health-care system,” Jackson remarked.

Starting from January 15, 2025, the Manitoba government will restrict the number of private nursing agencies to just four that can fill vacant nursing shifts in public health facilities. This decision follows a request for proposals issued in December 2024, aimed at reducing the province’s reliance on for-profit nursing agencies. The agencies selected through a competitive bidding process include Elite Intellicare Staffing, Integra Health, Bayshore HealthCare, and Augury Healthcare. Each regional health authority will establish contracts with these agencies, prioritizing them based on a designated order when filling nursing shifts.

Under this new arrangement, Augury Healthcare will serve as the primary agency for Prairie Mountain Health, followed by Elite Intellicare Staffing and Integra Health. The health authority will first offer shifts to on-site staff before consulting agency nurses, ensuring that nurses can only work for one private agency at a time.

The changes mark an end to partnerships with over 70 private nursing agencies, according to Health Minister Uzoma Asagwara. “This change is an important step that should have been taken years ago,” Asagwara stated, adding that the public system provides the most consistent and high-quality care. The intention is to strengthen the public workforce to support hospitals and personal care homes rather than depending on temporary solutions from agency staffing.

In line with these changes, the province had previously mandated that Prairie Mountain Health reduce its spending on private nursing agencies by 15 percent by March 2026. Asagwara revealed that the region has already achieved a 14 percent reduction in agency costs. Data from Shared Health indicates that the province has spent approximately $287.8 million on private nursing agencies over the last five years, with expenditures escalating from $26.9 million in 2020-21 to an anticipated $80 million in 2024-25. Specifically, Prairie Mountain Health’s spending surged from $8.1 million in 2020-21 to $35 million in 2024-25.

Jackson also noted that the travel nurse program, combined with the cuts to private agencies, is designed to enhance public health staffing while promoting fiscal responsibility. She highlighted concerns regarding the substantial financial outflows from the public healthcare system to private, profit-driven agencies. Reports from Shared Health show that as of December 31, there were 555 nurses working in the provincial float pool, with 55 percent of them having previously worked for agencies. Recruitment efforts are ongoing to further bolster the public health workforce.

Despite the positive outlook from the MNU, some concerns remain. Kathleen Cook, the Progressive Conservative health critic and MLA for Roblin, acknowledged the necessity of reducing spending on private agency nursing. However, she cautioned against compromising patient care during this transition. Cook expressed her worries about the already high vacancy rates in Prairie Mountain Health and the potential consequences of relying solely on the public sector for staffing.

Cook referenced the government’s earlier implementation of a centralized scheduling system for home care services in Winnipeg in 2025, which resulted in canceled appointments. “This plan seems to be contingent on all of those nurses taking jobs in the public sector,” she said. “I’d hate to see a scenario where facilities are left understaffed because they can’t call on agencies and they haven’t been able to fill those positions.”

The ongoing dialogue surrounding these changes reflects a broader concern about maintaining quality care while managing healthcare resources effectively. As the province moves forward with its new policies, the impact on both staffing levels and patient care will be closely monitored by healthcare professionals and policymakers alike.