Northern Health has postponed a series of community engagement sessions tied to its strategic planning process due to job action by nurses across the province.
In a social media post, Northern Health – Fort St. John and Area said sessions scheduled for Fort St. John, Dawson Creek and Fort Nelson have been postponed until further notice.
The health authority said the decision was made so staff could focus on delivering patient care.
The postponement comes after members of the Nurses’ Bargaining Association launched targeted job action across British Columbia on Thursday in an effort to push for improved contract terms.
The job action includes limits on non-essential overtime and a refusal to take on non-nursing duties such as answering phones, processing physician orders and performing cleaning tasks.
Northern Health had planned the sessions as part of an effort to gather public input for a new strategic plan that will guide future health-care services in northern B.C.
The health authority apologized for any inconvenience to residents who had planned to attend.
New dates for the engagement sessions have not been announced. Northern Health said updates will be shared once they are confirmed.
In the meantime, the organization is encouraging residents to take part in its online strategic plan survey, which remains open for community feedback.
