Conservative  government's ‘experiments’ with health care delivery have to end, says Liberal Health Critic Gord McNeilly.

The departure of three out of five nurses at the UPEI Patient Medical Home raises serious concerns about the government’s approach to primary care, says Liberal Health Critic Gord McNeilly.

“Many Islanders are tired of the spin, manipulation and hard-to-access care,” McNeilly says. “It’s long past time for the government to stick to the basics and simply work on helping Islanders get the care they need.”

The latest experiment is at the UPEI Patient Home.

In October 2025, Health PEI’s CEO said the UPEI Patient Medical Home would start small, work through challenges, and grow its capacity as systems and care pathways were established.

Then during Question Period in May 2026, the Minister of Health and Wellness referenced 15,000 people being assigned to this Patient Medical Home.

Last month, Health PEI admitted that it was treating the UPEI Patient Medical Home as an “experiment”.

“As a result of this ‘experiment’, Health PEI continues to rapidly affiliate Islanders to the facility without ensuring adequate staffing to provide safe care,” McNeilly said. “Now, we’ve learned that the Conservative government’s signature primary care home has needlessly lost three of its five nurse practitioners as a result of this failed ‘experimental’ approach.”

At a meeting of the Standing Committee on Health and Social Development on October 7, McNeilly asked whether the UPEI Patient Medical Home had lost any nurse practitioners in the last month and whether they were prepared to deal with the concerns raised by nurse practitioners at that medical home. The response made clear that there are directional issues and no clear Human Resources development plan.

“Will this government listen to frontline nurses and slow patient affiliations until the facility has the staff needed to provide safe, appropriate care?” McNeilly said. “Reducing the Patient Registry must never come at the expense of patient safety. Quit with the experiments, and work on the basics.”