Alberta NDP leader criticizes premier’s plan to transfer control of some hospitals
Alberta’s opposition leader says Premier Danielle Smith needs to explain her plan to potentially transfer control of underperforming hospitals to third parties.
NDP Leader Naheed Nenshi said Smith also needs to explain why she chose to quietly reveal the new policy two weeks ago at a United Conservative Party members-only event, without later telling the general public about it.
In an interview Tuesday, Nenshi said the silence indicates the government is afraid the plan will not be popular or that it is “making it up as it goes along.”
“That’s no way to run a system with over 100,000 employees, to do things your way, not have a real plan and just throw out the next thing that comes to mind that you think will please the audience you’re in front of,” Nenshi said.
“It’s pretty scary.”
The policy change would be part of a broader plan announced last year by Smith to dismantle Alberta Health Services, or AHS, the agency responsible for providing front-line care.
Smith has been a vocal critic of the agency, accusing it of failing to rise to the challenge during the COVID-19 pandemic. After taking office in 2022, she fired its board of directors.
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The province is replacing the AHS with four agencies responsible for overseeing specific areas of health care, with the AHS left to focus on acute care in hospitals.
However, on August 17, Smith told a United Conservative Party town hall meeting in Drayton Valley, Alta., that the AHS’s new mandate could be further reduced.
Smith told the audience that his government plans to outsource management of underperforming hospitals to third parties.
“We are also prepared to take away their authority over the management of hospitals,” Smith said in video recordings of the meeting posted online.
“We need Alberta Health Services to focus on providing the best care in the 106 facilities they operate for us. They’ve been distracted trying to manage everything else, so we’re taking away all their excuses.”
“If our operator does not provide the services we need, we will take it back.
“The next step will be to determine how many hospitals currently operated by AHS we can take over. We can’t do it for all of them,” Smith said.
Smith said the government is already offering private surgical facilities and services from faith-based public provider Covenant Health in an attempt to create competition and “fear” among providers.
“When you’re dealing with a monopoly and they believe they can provide any type of care without any consequences, they’re going to continue to provide poor service,” she said.
Smith’s office declined to comment to The Canadian Press on Tuesday and directed questions to the office of Health Minister Adriana LaGrange.
LaGrange’s office declined to answer emailed questions about how hospital underperformance might be measured and how the transfer of authority might address staffing shortages.
In a statement, LaGrange press secretary Andrea Smith said the government wants to see “better results” from the AHS, particularly in rural and remote communities where the number of emergency department closures is increasing.
“The work to refocus Alberta’s health system includes transitioning Alberta Health Services, over time, to focus solely on delivering acute care services,” she said, adding that both AHS and Covenant Health will continue to play key roles.
“It is critical to ensure we have the right partner to deliver these services and we will continue to evaluate this on an ongoing basis.”
© 2024 The Canadian Press
