Victor Boudreau wishes Horizon CEO had called before tweeting

New Brunswick's Health minister says he wishes the CEO of the Horizon Health Network had called him before going public with his complaints.

Victor Boudreau was responding to comments posted on Twitter by John McGarry last Friday about "intolerable congestion" in hospitals due to the number of seniors in long-term care.

Boudreau says he agrees with McGarry that there's a problem and says the government is working on solutions.

"I would have preferred that he pick up the phone and call me if he had concerns on that. But he has a job to do and I have a job to do. We both want what's best for the seniors of the province of New Brunswick, and that's what we're going to work to address."

Boudreau says he would also like to see McGarry propose solutions rather than just complain.

McGarry has said he felt he had no choice but to go public about the "crisis" of surgeries being delayed because hospital beds are being blocked by patients who should be in other facilities after years of inaction by successive governments.

He tweeted: "(Horizon Health Network) called for urgent action in Jan, (Nurses Association of New Brunswick) now, all regional hospitals facing intolerable congestion, when will system sit as one and fix the worsening situation of (alternative levels of care), (long-term care) and access for patients who need their hospital care? Somebody (please) tell us what it will take?"