To pay or not to pay? Will the NL government consider compensating nurse practitioners who work in private practice

Nurse practitioners who work in private practice are calling on the provincial government to pay them out of public funds, using a system similar to how it pays family doctors. Right now, patients making appointments to be treated by nurse practitioners in a private practice have to pay out of pocket. The government argues it needs nurse practitioners in the PUBLIC system, in particular, on the new family care teams. It doesn't want to cover fees for nurse practitioners who work in private practices. But that doesn't sit well with the Newfoundland and Labrador Nurse Practitioner Association. Tom Osborne is the province's Minister of Health, and he spoke with the CBC's Darrell Roberts.