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Millions Spent on Unopened Urgent Care Facility
14 Oct
Summary
- New urgent care clinic in Mount Pearl remains unopened due to staffing issues.
- Newfoundland and Labrador Health Services has spent at least $1 million on the facility.
- The facility was completed in late 2025 but has faced repeated postponements.
Newfoundland and Labrador Health Services (NLHS) has incurred expenses of at least $1 million leasing a facility in Mount Pearl intended for a new urgent care clinic. The construction of the 12,398-square-foot building at 850 Topsail Rd. concluded in late 2025, with the Urgent Care Centre West slated for opening by year's end. However, staffing issues have repeatedly delayed its operational launch.
While the top floor of the facility houses a family care team and the main floor has begun offering X-ray services and temporarily accommodates newcomers and walk-in clinics during renovations elsewhere, the core function as an urgent care centre remains unfulfilled. NLHS and the provincial health department have not provided a timeline for its intended opening.
Similar staffing challenges plague the province's first urgent care centre, Urgent Care Centre East, on Stavanger Drive. Inadequate staffing has led to service reductions and temporary closures. Despite efforts to recruit and retain staff, the issue persists, impacting the effectiveness of urgent care services aimed at alleviating pressure on emergency rooms.
The Progressive Conservative government has also committed to a third urgent care centre in Conception Bay South, allocating $1.9 million in the current budget, but no opening timeline has been announced. Health officials are facing scrutiny over their ability to address these ongoing staffing deficits, which are delaying the full utilization of critical healthcare infrastructure.
