Williams urged to replace Eastern Health boss

Liberal critics called on Newfoundland and Labrador Premier Danny Williams on Thursday to fire the boss of the province's largest health authority.

Opposition Leader Gerry Reid said the government— which a day before shuffled senior jobs in the civil service, including deputy minister of health— should remove George Tilley as chief executive officer of the Eastern Health regional authority.

"You can't just remove him and say that everything is fine," Reid told the house of assembly, referring to the departure of John Abbott as the top civil servant in the health department.

Reid said the government should continue to clean house, including at the top of Eastern Health, whichruns at arm's length from the provincial government and operates hospitals, nursing homes and community-based clinics.

Eastern Health has been dealing with several high-profile issues in recent weeks.

Last week, the government called a judicial inquiry to investigate how the pathology lab in St. John's handled hormone receptor tests involving hundreds of breast cancer patients.

Those inaccurate results, which excluded more than 300 women from being considered for therapies like the breast cancer drug Tamoxifen, are the subject of a class action lawsuit that was certified in Newfoundland Supreme Court on Monday.

As well, radiologists with Eastern Health are reviewing the work of a suspended radiologist who worked with the Burin Peninsula Health Care Centre. The records involve thousands of patients who had CT scans, X-rays and ultrasounds.

Reid said the government needs to remove Tilley to restore public confidence in the health-care system.

"Once you remove the deputy minister of health because he was too close to a particular file, then you've got to go all the way," Reid said.

Williams has insisted that Abbott was not fired from his position. He said Abbott refused a transfer to the Tourism Department.

Another issue emerging: Williams

As well, Williams said it is not his job to decide Tilley's future, but the board of Eastern Health.

"You know, they obviously have confidence in Mr. Tilley and they are proceeding on with him, and if that's the case, we accept that," Williamssaid.

Tilley said Thursday he does not have plans to go anywhere, and he intends to see Eastern Health through a turbulent time.

"When you have a challenge in your organization, it is really important that your leadership step up to the plate and manage your way through this," Tilley said.

"So I'm certainly believing that I can contribute to that and that's my plan."

Meanwhile, Williams told the legislature that there is another potential problem involving another health board, but he would not elaborate on what the issue was.

He said government learned of the problem late Tuesday.

He said Wednesday afternoon that government would update the situation within 24 hours. He would not identify in which region of the province the problem was identified.