Alberta government promises to provide faster access to surgical services

Health’s 2023-24 Surgical Initiative Capital Program operating budget is $237 million – a $120-million increase from 2022-23. The government says AHS will spend $312 million in 2023-24 for their surgical goal, $316 million in 2024-25 and $324 million in 2025-26.

“This additional funding will directly support the work of our teams to implement the Alberta Surgical Initiative. AHS is laser-focused on improving access to surgeries and to reducing wait times, particularly for those Albertans waiting outside of clinically recommended timeframes. We appreciate the investment and know that it will help improve health outcomes for Albertans,” said Dr. John Cowell, official administrator for AHS.

Officials say the number of patients waiting longer for surgery than clinically recommended has dropped by 18 per cent since November 2022. As of March 27, 32,200 Albertans are waiting for surgery outside the clinically recommended time, down from 39,200 in November, they say.

They note Alberta’s highly skilled surgeons are completing approximately 6,000 surgeries every week and 15 per cent more surgeries now, compared to 2019.

“Budget 2023 moves us one step closer to fulfilling our promise to Albertans. By providing thousands more publicly funded surgeries, patients can have better care throughout the province, and access the surgical care they need within the clinically recommended wait time,” said Jason Copping, Minister of Health.

A new investment of $120 million over the next three years aims to expand operating rooms across the province, including rural areas, in Brooks, Calgary, Camrose, Crowsnest Pass, Edmonton, Fort Saskatchewan, Grande Prairie, Innisfail, Olds, Pincher Creek, Ponoka, Red Deer, St. Albert, Stettler and Taber.

They say the funding will also modernize the surrounding space of operating rooms, such as the post anesthesia care unit, surgical scrub space, recovery space, surgical inpatient units, day surgery space, and soiled and sterile storage.

They province also confirmed that an additional $105 million over three years has been set aside for medical device reprocessing upgrades, including $96 million in new funding for Calgary, Edmonton, Fort McMurray, St. Albert and Westlock.

“Expanding operating rooms across Alberta is a great step forward in creating additional surgery spaces, reducing surgery wait times and creating jobs for Albertans. As the minister in charge of the construction process for these projects, I am thrilled that more construction and related jobs will be created in the lead up to helping our health care system grow and thrive,” said Nathan Neudorf, Minister of Infrastructure.

Alberta NDP Health Critic David Shepherd says operating rooms are not the problem.

“Empty beds will not reduce surgery wait times. We already have operating rooms that are sitting empty across this province because of severe staffing shortages caused by the UCP,” he said. “Danielle Smith and Jason Copping can announce all the expansion and development of hospital operating rooms they like, but that will not help one single Albertan without a plan on how to staff them.

“The UCP began their term in government by waging war with doctors and chased them out of the province. Danielle Smith and the UCP’s continued disrespect of health-care workers has caused a critical shortage of frontline staff,” said Shepherd. “The UCP’s approach to the crisis in health care has been to undermine the public system in favour of directing resources and people to enrich private companies.”

Shepherd says their plan was developed in collaboration with frontline workers.

“The Alberta NDP’s Family Health Teams plan to support primary care through the significant expansion of team-based care will connect a million more Albertans to a family doctor and accessible primary care,” he said.

by rdnewsNOW Staff

Alberta government promises to provide faster access to surgical services

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