Tories fail to reach agreement with Alberta doctors

EDMONTON - The president of the Alberta Medical Association is calling on Health Minister Fred Horne to live up to his commitment to reach an agreement with doctors, or risk an unstable and difficult relationship with the medical community.

The government and the AMA’s agreement in principle, a temporary deal that served as a foundation for a short-term contract, expired on Saturday.

The draft deal includes a 2.5 per cent fee increase retroactive to April 2011, and a funding boost of $12 per enrolled patient in Primary Care Networks, a group that includes physicians and other health care providers.

“Our members are really getting disillusioned, they are frustrated and very disappointed that this deadline has come and gone,” said Dr. Linda Slocombe, president of the Alberta Medical Association, on Monday morning.

“It’s very difficult for physicians to feel that they are being adequately engaged and involved in moving toward a better health care system for Albertans.”

Slocombe said Horne has proposed a couple of major changes to the original agreement — a switch from consensus-based decision making to one of unilateral ministerial authority and an exclusion of any reference to Primary Care Networks and indicated that a task force on Primary Care Networks will not go forward, Slocombe said.

Wildrose wants expanded health inquiry

Wildrose party leader Danielle Smith: "We will launch a full-scale public inquiry into the allegations raised by the Health Quality Council report. We will examine the scope of the inquiry and expand it to look at the issue of intimidation by health care professionals.”

Health care was once again front and centre in the provincial election campaign Saturday as both the Progressive Conservative and Wildrose leaders announced how their parties would improve Alberta’s multibillion dollar system of hospitals and emergency helicopters.

While Tory Leader Alison Redford pledged $10 million in additional funding for STARS Air Ambulance at a campaign stop in Grande Prairie, Wildrose Leader Danielle Smith reiterated her party’s promise to expand a health care inquiry to also delve into doctor intimidation – a move the PC party says isn’t necessary.

The Redford Conservatives did call a judicial inquiry in February, but with the narrow focus of whether well-connected political insiders are currently able to get preferential treatment at the province’s hospitals and clinics.

Speaking to reporters while, coincidentally, also touring the STARS Air Ambulance Calgary facility on Saturday morning, Smith said that isn’t good enough.

“Today I’m announcing a Wildrose government will do what the Redford PCs have refused to do – we will launch a full-scale public inquiry into the allegations raised by the Health Quality Council report. We will examine the scope of the inquiry and expand it to look at the issue of intimidation of health care professionals.”

Smith said at one point Redford agreed with this approach but she “shattered” her Tory leadership campaign promise.

If her party wins the provincial election on April 23, Smith said the inquiry would be fully public, and whatever a judge eventually recommends would be binding on government. She also said she would prefer to expand the mandate of retired N.W.T. Supreme Court Justice John Vertes, who is already named to head up the inquiry, rather than starting a whole new process.

“I would take the advice of my caucus on that afterwards, but my intention would be to go with the same judge,” Smith said.

Rob Anderson, the Wildrose candidate in Airdrie and a one-term MLA, said the inquiry – which would be one of the party’s first priorities if elected – would also look into the “crisis” in provincial emergency rooms. He said the judge would have the ability to subpoena witnesses and call for evidence.

“It would be full scope,” Anderson said. “We’re only going to do this once, so let’s do it right.”

An investigation by the Health Quality Council of Alberta found some Alberta doctors are concerned about interference and intimidation by health-care managers and administrators, and questioned whether it was politically motivated. However, the report from the council released earlier this year didn’t recommend the government call an inquiry into the matter, saying the issue could be dealt with through other avenues.

However Redford stood by her government’s plan to conduct an inquiry into queue jumping alone, and said health professionals she has spoken with agree with that decision.

“They are saying the recommendations the Health Quality Council made to actually fix health care is progress,” Redford said in Grande Prairie. “It’s moving forward – it’s actually fixing health care.”

Redford said Smith has no intention of fixing public health care, and will instead focus on privatization.

“They want to have inquiries, they want to send people to private health clinics in B.C., they don’t want to open your Grande Prairie regional health facility. Where are we going to go?

“We’re going to get on with dealing with the systems we have in place, protecting public health care.”

NDP Leader Brian Mason said the Wildrose health care policy in favour of expanding the options to deliver publicly funded health care services, including by private firms, is a slippery slope that will eventually allow wealthy Albertans to queue-jump, and gain quick access to “superior care.”

“They are facilitating queue-jumping through their support of private clinics,” Mason said of the Wildrose health care promise.

“What they’re not ruling out is any sort of extra billing capacity,” he added.

Speaking on the campaign trail in Lethbridge, Liberal Leader Raj Sherman said his party has long called for a more sweeping judicial inquiry.

“Absolutely, we support the independent public inquiry to build trust in the health-care system again.”

Groups representing doctors, such as the Alberta Medical Association, have also called for a full probe into doctor intimidation.

“A much broader inquiry is warranted – and necessary – on the issue of physician intimidation,” AMA president Dr. Linda Slocombe said earlier this year.

Meanwhile in Grande Prairie, Redford announced if elected, a PC government would triple the amount given to STARS, adding $10 million each year.

“All Albertans know just how special STARS is,” Redford said.

The Shock Trauma Air Rescue Society is a non-profit charity organization that provides emergency transport for critically ill patients.

The funding pledge would increase the government’s contribution to $15.5 million annually, up from $5.5 million each year. STARS total operating expenses in 2009 were $27 million.

Redford said the addition money is central to the party’s plan to provide health care for rural and remote communities.

STARS spokesman Cam Heke said while the organization isn’t endorsing any political party, they were pleased with the Tory announcement.

He said the money would benefit patients by helping to maintain the bigger, faster W-139 helicopters coming to Edmonton and Calgary this year and next.