Opposition raises concerns about Nova Scotia Health's missing business plans

NDP Leader Claudia Chender says there's a lack of public accountability at the provincial health authority after revealing the organization was given permission not to produce a business plan for 2022-23 and noting that no subsequent plans have been posted online.

During question period at the legislature on Thursday, Chender said an access to information request for the business plan generated a response saying Nova Scotia Health was given the OK not to produce the document.

The Health Authorities Act requires that the document be produced and submitted to the health minister each year and that it include annual operating expenses, coordination with community health boards and a public engagement plan.

Chender told reporters that not having a plan available for the public to see means people cannot gauge progress by Nova Scotia Health. No plan has been posted yet for 2023-24 or 2024-25, either.

"All we can do is hear the premier refute every negative question and then tell us that things are getting better when they clearly aren't," she said.

"The premier can say the sky is green, that doesn't make it true."

Health Minister Michelle Thompson said that as far as she knows, all legislative and policy requirements were met, despite the 2022-23 business plan not being produced.

Thompson said officials faced a lot of work related to the government's action for health plan at the time, as well as navigating the Omicron variant of COVID-19.

"I would say that '22-23 was a bit of an anomaly," she told reporters.

Thompson said she wasn't sure why the two most recent business plans have yet to be posted online, but that they have been submitted to her department and signed off on.

A spokesperson for Nova Scotia Health said the 2022-23 business plan was not delivered to the minister until April of last year.

"[G]iven the timing in the business planning cycle, it was agreed that there was no longer a need for that year's plan to be finalized as work had turned to the next fiscal year," Jennifer Lewandowski said in a statement.

Lewandowski said the 2023-24 business plan should be published online within 30 days, but the 2024-25 plan is not yet finalized.

"July would be a good estimate of timing for this and you can contact us to obtain the link."