SASKATCHEWAN LOSES ONE IN FOUR RURAL NURSES SINCE MOE TOOK OFFICE: NEW CIHI DATA

A total of 230 full-time registered nurses across Saskatchewan gone in a single year

SASKATOON - Today, Saskatchewan NDP Shadow Minister of Health Vicki Mowat responded to shocking new workforce data from the Canadian Institute of Health Information (CIHI) that shows the Sask. Party is driving healthcare workers out of Saskatchewan’s health system.

“The Sask. Party’s plan is failing. This is why our emergency rooms and rural hospitals are facing chronic closures. This is why our friends and neighbours can’t find a family doctor or get a procedure on time,” said Mowat. “This government is driving healthcare workers out of the province.”

The latest data shows a shocking and sobering pattern since Scott Moe took office in 2018:

There were 2,234 rural/remote registered nurses in 2018, with only 1,708 in 2023 – a 24% drop or a loss of 526 rural/remote registered nurses since Scott Moe became Premier.

There were 991 registered nurses working in long term care (LTC) in 2018, with only 896 in 2023 – a 10% drop or a loss of 95 registered nurses working in LTC across Saskatchewan.
There were 755 registered psychiatric nurses in 2018, with only 692 in 2023 – an 8% drop in the overall psychiatric nursing workforce, or a loss of 63 psych nurses since Scott Moe became Premier.

“The Sask. Party is going out saying they have the best recruitment strategy in Canada as our healthcare workers leave in record numbers. This government is delusional,” said Mowat. “Anyone who has tried to get care in a Saskatchewan hospital can see that the system is in crisis.”

The data from CIHI also shows that Saskatchewan lost a total of 230 full-time registered nurses across the province in just one year. The province only managed to hire a single full-time nurse practitioner in 2023.

Saskatchewan is still well below the Canadian average in terms of physician to patient ratios. According to CIHI, Saskatchewan has the second-worst physician to patient ratio at 221 physicians per 100,000 and has the worst specialist to patient ratio at 103 specialists per 100,000 people.

Jurisdiction	Physician to 100,000, 2023
	All physicians	Specialists
BC	272	134
AB	240	124
SK	221	103
MB	219	112
ON	226	116
QB	260	130
Canada	243	123

“Everyone is tired of the excuse that this is a so-called national problem. The Sask. Party is dead last in Canada. It’s time they own their record,” said Mowat.

“We need to massively overhaul our recruitment strategy and build retention solutions with our healthcare workers who are currently shouldering the burden of this government’s failures. Our healthcare workers deserve better and our patients certainly deserve better.”

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