Posted on Dec 2, 2022

Rachel Notley Introduces Law to get Albertans the Healthcare They Need

Rachel Notley introduced a bill in the legislature that is a necessary first step to ending the chaos in our hospitals, ambulances and clinics.

“Bill 201: the Public Health Care Delivery Standards Act will make a real difference in the lives of Albertans who need help when they get sick or injured,” said Notley.

Rachel Notley’s Bill 201: The Public Health Care Delivery Standards Act is designed to make a real difference in Albertans’ lives by empowering the Health Quality Council of Alberta to set Health Care Delivery Standards through consultation with patients, health care workers, and communities. 

If standards are not met, the government would then be required to create an action plan, including assessing if there are adequate resources in health care to ensure Albertans can access quality and timely care.  

Due to the UCP’s botched handling of healthcare and their war on frontline professionals, dozens of rural hospitals are partially closed, urban emergency rooms are overwhelmed, ambulance wait times are longer than ever before, and hundreds of thousands of Albertans can’t find a family doctor.

“Albertans should be able to expect an ambulance in a matter of minutes, access an emergency room within a few hours, and see their family doctor in a day or two. That is not happening right now and the government must be held accountable to fix this problem.

“While the UCP’s first bill is one to create chaos, conflicts, and costs. The Alberta NDP’s first bill is about ensuring Albertans can get care when and where they need it,” said Notley. “We will make sure that Alberta families can get the care they need, when they need it, close to home.”

You can read the full bill here. 

 

Leave a Comment

Lorraine Moreau

Posted

Finally a rational response to solving the problems Albertans really care about!

Melanie DeSouza-Cook

Posted

With respect to Bill 201, it would be advantageous to have volunteer patient safety councils operating out of each major health district or zone to inform the work of the Health Quality Council as was done in the past. In the past, the patient safety council in the Calgary zone provided valuable feedback on the construction of the South Health Campus from a safety. perspective. We were also instrumental in Creating Safer Together which is a document detailing ways to keep patients Safe in hospital. As part of the council in Calgary, our stories of harm were used to change hospital policy. Patients across the province need to know that government hears them and is inviting them to the table to create a better, safer healthcare system . Patient advocates should have a stronger role in all healthcare settings including in nursing homes, supportive living and LTC. Our seniors especially those living with dementia deserve to be protected as their families and support persons become their voices. More should be done to protect our seniors from elder abuse in care. Providing youth meaningful work opportunities and apprenticeships at the post secondary level will ensure that our youth are staying in the province after graduating. A cap on tuition will help struggling students during these difficult economic times and may lead to disadvantaged youth having better access to post secondary education opportunities especially in healthcare related fields. An Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Secretariat should be created to inform all government policy. Thank you for your time.

Melanie DeSouza-Cook

Posted

With respect to Bill 201, it would be advantageous to have volunteer patient safety councils operating out of each major health district or zone to inform the work of the Health Quality Council as was done in the past. In the past, the patient safety council in the Calgary zone provided valuable feedback on the construction of the South Health Campus from a safety. perspective. We were also instrumental in Creating Safer Together which is a document detailing ways to keep patients Safe in hospital. As part of the council in Calgary, our stories of harm were used to change hospital policy. Patients across the province need to know that government hears them and is inviting them to the table to create a better, safer healthcare system . Patient advocates should have a stronger role in all healthcare settings including in nursing homes, supportive living and LTC. Our seniors especially those living with dementia deserve to be protected and heard. Providing youth meaningful work opportunities and apprenticeships at the post secondary level will ensure that our youth are staying in the province after graduating. A cap on tuition will help struggling students during these difficult economic times and may lead to disadvantaged youth having access to post secondary education. An Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Secretariat created Thank you for your time.

Mariette Boucher

Posted

Good luck! We don’t need private health care. We can’t afford it and it’s going to hurt most Albertans especially low income and seniors. UCP has no business messing up our health care, the current mess is their fault.