Sussex-Area Mayors Want Change In Health Leadership

The mayors of Sussex, Sussex Corner and Norton say residents have lost trust in health-care leadership over recent health reforms.

The three mayors have written to the premier calling for a leadership change within the Department of Health and the regional health authorities.

Marc Thorne, the mayor of Sussex, said recent comments by Health Minister Ted Flemming and the health authority CEOs have heightened anger in their communities.

“It’s very clear that they have absolutely no appetite to entertain any sort of meaningful consultations at all. They want to stay with the program that they’ve introduced, they feel entrenched in it I would say in their position,” said Thorne.

Last week, the province pressed pause on controversial health reforms in order to consult with the public. One of the changes would have seen six emergency rooms, including the one in Sussex, closed during overnight hours.

But in their two-page letter, the mayors said Flemming and the health authority CEOs “have been clear” they will not support the consultations.

“All three have clearly indicated that consultation beyond what has already been done is not needed and that their plans are the best and only path,” read the letter.

Thorne said it sounds to him like the government only wants to do consultations for the sake of doing it.

“We can’t see how anyone in New Brunswick can have any sort of faith that the consultations and summit will be meaningful as long as you’ve got leadership in the health department and the regional health authorities that don’t want to hear it,” he said.

Thorne said a leadership change will not be enough to restore trust, but it will signal the premier is serious about the consultations.