Implementing AHS review’s changes will be ‘a lot of work,’ health minister says
Employees provided ‘fantastic feedback’ as part of consultations, Shandro says
EDMONTON Looking ahead to 2020, Health Minister Tyler Shandro says the next biggest challenge in managing the province’s biggest budget line will be to put the results of a massive review of Alberta Health Services to work.
The government contracted Ernst and Young to review the organization, services and programs of Alberta Health Services (AHS) and is due to report to government by the end of December.
The AHS review, meant to find efficiencies, should be released mid-january, and implementing changes to policy and structure will be an ongoing project, Shandro said.
“And then it’s going to be a lot of work,” said Shandro.
The report will reflect recommendations from front-line workers made in consultations with about 35,000 employees, he said.
“The employees, especially the unionized employees, were hungry to be consulted and to have feedback, and they had really fantastic feedback to be included in the review,” said Shandro.
But David Shepherd, NDP MLA and Opposition health critic, said in a December interview that he was disappointed in the lack of consultation he’s seen from the UCP government before making big decisions, such as cancelling the construction of a lab hub.
“It’s clear this government plan for health care existed long before they ever got into office, a lot before they actually spoke to anybody who’s involved,” said Shepherd.
Shandro highlighted working with nurse practitioners to expand their roles as something he’s been proud of. He also pointed to the government’s effort to limit cost growth in doctor pay through consultations with the Alberta Medical Association as a milestone. He announced Friday that the ministry has received the association’s advice in consultations, and will be reviewing its proposal over the coming weeks.
‘COMING IN WITH AN AXE’
While he agreed that there are efficiencies to be found in the health-care system, Shepherd said the UCP’S method of streamlining health care demonstrates a clear ideological bent.
“The way this government is doing it is they are coming in with an axe and creating chaos,” said Shepherd.
Shandro called that a complete mischaracterization, especially since most of the line items were inherited from former NDP health minister Sarah Hoffman’s budget, he said. “I disagree with ‘axe’ and I disagree with ‘chaos,’” he said.
With Budget 2019, the province increased health-care spending by $200 million, bringing overall operating expenditures to $20.6 billion per year. The increase of one per cent is one-third of what the NDP budgeted per year, and critics say it amounts to a real cut when population growth and inflation are taken into account.
Of the increase, $100 million was allocated to a mental health and addictions strategy, $40 million to an opioid response and $20 million to palliative care.
Shandro also deflected criticism that the UCP government indicated a willingness to privatize health care or move toward an American-style system, including in a recently announced effort to decrease waiting times for some surgeries that will rely on private clinics to deliver publicly-funded services.
This isn’t privatization, this is making sure we have independent providers paid through the public system so that we have a system at full capacity — and it doesn’t differ from the public health care systems in the U.K., Australia, or Scandinavian countries, Shandro said.
“I have zero interest in emulating the American health-care system,” said Shandro.
On top of the AHS review, the report from a supervised consumption site panel that toured the province is expected soon. While the panel was controversial, Shandro said it wasn’t about attacking harm reduction.
“One of the reasons this is a touchstone issue is because people haven’t been consulted. We have to make sure that we earn the respect of neighbouring communities,” he said.
To address a recent increase in vaping, the government’s tobacco and smoking reduction review should report back soon.
And, a review of continuing care will begin soon, with the goal of having new legislation by the spring of 2021, Shandro said.
Andrew Neuner, CEO of the Health Quality Council of Alberta, said it’s not exactly the case that
Alberta taxpayers pay more for the same care.
Certainly, there are areas where Alberta is not the best in the country, he said in an interview, but there are a number of metrics that also put health care in Alberta at the top.
Government should be taking an outcome-driven approach instead of one that centres on cutting expenses at any cost, he said.
“It is important that we show better value for what we’re spending,” he said in an interview.
Along with good value, though, we need to see evidence of good outcomes, he said.