Health Minister Ross Wiseman says he is confident Eastern Health 'will make a commitment to provide some kind of continuity' at the HIV-AIDS clinic. (CBC)

Patients who rely on the only HIV/AIDS clinic in Newfoundland and Labrador have been delivered another blow, as the lone nurse-practitioner at the St. John's-based clinic has resigned.

The nurse, who had been on a leave of absence, has decided not to return to her job. She had been responsible for seeing patients after the only infectious diseases specialist in the province moved away.

The clinic was force to close temporarily while the nurse-practitioner, who had the authority to write prescriptions, went on sick leave.

Jones, who said she was told of the resignation on Tuesday afternoon, said the resignation makes a bad situation worse.

"[Patients] are wondering what will be the alternative for them, and where do they turn to now to get those prescriptions and to get the treatment they need?" she said.

Health Minister Ross Wiseman said he had not been aware that the nurse-practitioner had resigned.

"That is not something that I would ordinarily know, but in terms of the programs and services that Eastern Health provide, I am certain that they will make a commitment to provide some kind of continuity," Wiseman told the house of assembly.

"One of the things I want to point out in respect to the HIV/AIDS clinic is that there has been a mistaken notion that there are no services available to those patients at all. That is not true. That service is being covered off by a number of internal medicine specialists supported by members of the clinic, including the nurse in question," Wiseman said.

An official with Eastern Health confirmed that the nurse-practitioner has resigned, but said it would not be appropriate to disclose the person's reasons for resigning.

Eastern Health said last week it is hoping to recruit a new infectious diseases specialist in the near future.

Last week, the AIDS Committee of Newfoundland and Labrador warned that patients had already been in distress about their care because of the lack of a medical specialist and the fact the nurse-practitioner had been on leave.