The government bent already and called a Health Quality Council (HQCA) investigation into cases of compromised ER care and possible cases of delayed cancer care. The HQCA review, which reports directly to the Minister of Health as opposed to the Legislature or people of Alberta, is meant to investigate wait times and issues of patient care but are ill-equipped to investigate the intimidation of healthcare professionals. The reason for this is that the HQCA is unable to subpoena witnesses or financial records and cannot does not provide protection for doctors to reveal details that have been sealed within non-disclosure agreements.

Our health care workers are among the best in the country and deserve an opportunity to testify and make public any intimidation from AHS or from the government they have suffered without fear of retribution.

The Alberta Liberal Caucus and I will continue to call for this inquiry until one is called. We are not the only group who sees this inquiry as the only way to move forward. The Alberta Medical Association, which represents over 6500 doctors and 3500 retired doctors, students and residents, have now called for the same. Just this week, the Health Sciences Association of Alberta, which represents 21000 allied health professionals, has also called for a public inquiry.

Please write to or e-mail the Premier (premier@gov.ab.ca) and Health Minister (edmonton.millcreek@assembly.ab.ca) and copy my office (Calgary.mountainview@assembly.ab.ca). It will take letters such as yours to save our health system by calling a public inquiry. Our health workers need to be free from fear and intimidation if they are to be able to deliver the quality of care that Albertans need and deserve.

Healthcare dominated the fall session of the legislature, led by our call for a much needed emergency debate on healthcare. The government, continuing to be out of touch with issues of importance to Albertans, limited debate to 75 minutes. It was only after Dr. Sherman was kicked out of the PC caucus for speaking his mind and his proposal of an amendment to Bill 17 that enabled the Liberal Caucus to push for adequate debate. Debate lasted 25 hours, none of which the Premier chose to attend. With Albertans waiting 18 hours in emergency rooms for care, the Premier showed disinterest and contempt towards Albertans accessing the healthcare system and to medical staff who are working diligently to make a broken system function.

The Alberta government backed off from park legislation. The proposed bill put too much power into the hands of the minister. Without rules backed by legislation, the door was left open for more development in Alberta’s parks. Local and national conservation groups have campaigned against Bill 29 since it was tabled on November 4th. They called it one of the worst pieces of conservation legislation to come forward anywhere in Canada.

Our efforts helped kill the bill. The entire Liberal caucus opposed the bill and Tourism, Parks and Recreation Critic Harry Chase presented letter after letter from concerned Albertans who opposed the bill. This public backlash along with continued efforts forced the government’s hand. The bill was withdrawn.

The Alberta Liberal Caucus released two major policies during the fall session. One policy focused on the environment and the other focused on the crisis we are facing in healthcare. The environmental policy provides a strong balance between maintaining Alberta’s natural beauty while not compromising economic development. The health policy provides real world solutions and a concrete plan towards solving the ER crisis and ensuring that Albertans are never put into this situation again.

This contrasts with the government, which has announced and re-announced the same plans, with no real action ever taken. This government has a fixation on central control of all decisions across the province in healthcare delivery. This is a major part of the bottleneck that needs to be opened up to more regional control and decision-making. I am continuing to push for changes that will improve the regional delivery system. I have no confidence that this government understands how to improve the effectiveness of our services, and more and more Albertans and health professionals are saying the same thing. A poll done before Duckett’s dismissal and the ER crisis revealed less than 25% confidence in the government’s ability to manage the healthcare system. It is time for Albertans to become more involved in political change for Alberta. There’s a better way.

I am very interested in hearing your feedback on both the environment and healthcare policies. Please read them here:

Health Policy
Environment Policy

Get in touch with us via e-mail at: calgary.mountainview@assembly.ab.ca
Via phone at 403-216-5445
Twitter
Facebook

Imagine waiting an average of 18 hours with an injury in emergency to be seen along with a senior experiencing chest pains, a young woman with bleeding, an intoxicated man, and a family grieving the death of a loved one. This is a daily experience for many of our ER’s in the larger centers and cannot be allowed to go on.

We keep hearing that the Health minister has a plan to tackle ER wait times and other crises being faced in the health sector. We never hear any specifics beyond the shell game being played with hospital beds and staff. We hear about 5 year funding commitments but no targets are set to show that this money is delivering results and is being well spent. How can we believe in our health system if the government does not reveal timely, accurate numbers?

We are now in one of the highest usage seasons for our Emergency Rooms. We must provide front-line staff with adequate support to get them through the times of increased stress. This government has failed to properly support frontline medical staff. The Alberta Liberal Caucus has a plan to tackle this issue and solve these problems. Please visit here to view our plan.

We’re looking for a clear plan from the Stelmach administration. Where is a plan for dealing with serious problems in our economy, our energy sector, public services, education and health care?

Here’s what the Official Opposition will be focusing on during this session, as we roll out new policy on economy, healthcare and the environment:

Strengthening the Economy- Albertans have the right to expect responsible planning and disciplined spending, while protecting our basic human services. It’s time that this government was held accountable for decisions that have slowed our economic recovery and threatened our future stability.

I will work hard to see that the diversification of Alberta’s economy and energy plan remains a priority, while focusing on increasing the success of the oil and gas industry in this province on multiple stakeholder levels. The Alberta Liberal Caucus will be following up on Dave Taylor’s well-received policy on the oil and gas industry, launched last week. If you would like to read more about our new oil and gas policy for Alberta, please click here

Revitalizing Healthcare - It’s time to go BACK TO BASICS. Every Albertan deserves a family doctor, and all seniors in this province deserve quality affordable long-term care.

The Lieutenant (Health Minister) has changed, but the General (Mr Stelmach) remains the same. I’m afraid that we will see more serious problems in people’s ability to receive timely care from a health professional – including prevention.

Protecting Social Services – In these difficult economic times it is especially important that social services remain available for our society’s most vulnerable persons. Persons with developmental disability and their care-givers are reasonably upset by threats to reduce basic services, safety and health.

The Alberta Liberal Caucus has long challenged the Alberta government to provide more funding for Persons with Developmental Disabilities (PDD) support programs. We deeply disagree with the recent decision to force $6 million in cuts. It demonstrates this government’s willingness to sacrifice vital services for the bottom line.

Defending Education – A large part of my job is bringing forward the issues and concerns of my constituents – I have heard from students, parents, teachers, and trustees from within the constituency and across this province who are all concerned with impending funding cuts to the education system.

Education is the most basic investment we can make in our economic and social wellbeing. All students have the right to receive the best possible education. As Alberta’s Official Opposition, the Alberta Liberal Caucus will continue to challenge the Stelmach Administration to adequately fund the education of Alberta’s children, both K-12 and post-secondary.

In a time when there is so much wasteful government spending, there’s no justification to slash public health care, public education or crucially important programs, like those serving people with developmental disabilities. To read a listing of alternative cuts that an Alberta Liberal government would make, click here. We are interested in your thoughts on our proposal.

I want to hear from you and your ideas on how to make this great province of ours greater for all Albertans. Please contact me at: calgary.mountainview@assembly.ab.ca

David

The Liberal Caucus has appealed last week’s order by the Legislature Assembly Office to take down the site, as I consider it our job as Alberta’s Official Opposition to help Albertans speak out on the issues of concern and to amplify their voices. I believe passionately in the power of voices united.

What we’ve heard is very concerning. I’ve included a few quotes from stories we’ve received below.

We’re not asking for Ron Liepert to be removed as MLA, only as Health Minister. This is an issue of policy, not personality.

With the recent announcement of an impending cabinet shuffle, we will soon find out if Ed is listening.

Albertans deserve better – and will get it if they persist.

David

Visit liepertmustgo.ca

Excerpts taken from liepertmustgo.ca:

“I am a medical Resident who works in Calgary. I have seen firsthand the devastation the health reforms and mismanagement […] While on ICU, we had a patient who had been waiting for transfer to the ward for so long that he was actually ready for discharge from ICU. Only he needed 3 additional days of ORAL antibiotics. We tried to give him a script for the drugs, but being homeless, he could not afford to fill the prescription. The inpatient pharmacy is now restricted in terms of giving meds to patients at discharge (ie. they can dispense one day’s worth, but not more – because of budget cuts). So this gentleman, with no medical bed (only an ICU bed) was required to stay in ICU for 3 additional days, because the hospital would not give him $25 of antibiotics (The Math: 3x $2000/day ICU stay = $6000 cost, because we can’t give him $25 of free antibiotics)”

“My mother (68 years old) was on the waiting list for a routine colonoscopy for two years before she was called for an appointment. The terrible thing about this situation was that she was diagnosed with colon cancer before she was able to get the colonoscopy.”

“I used to work as an RN in Alberta. I saw more and more RNs on my unit being replaced by LPNs. It was getting so dangerous for the patients that I had to leave; I couldn’t work in an environment where money was more important than patient safety and their lives. The LPNs were nowhere near knowledgeable or competent enough to deal with the high acuity of the patients. None of them were

As line-ups continue across the province today, I am hearing from many concerned Albertans about the negligence, lack of planning and shortage of resources around this important vaccination campaign.

I’ve heard from parents, who are worried for their young children and frustrated by the hours of waiting imposed on their families.

I’ve heard from seniors with chronic disease, many with disabilities, who are not able to line up for hours due to their conditions. These are the very people most at risk and most likely to benefit from the vaccine!

I’ve heard from pharmacists who are inundated with phone calls after the Minister’s announcement that 400 pharmacist’s will be available to administer the vaccine shortly.  These pharmacists have not been given any prior information and are frustrated that they cannot answer the questions being asked.

Many people have suggestions about how to make positive changes to the vaccination campaign, and I would like to acknowledge their efforts to make a bad situation better for everyone.

Bed closures in hospitals and the cutting of essential front line health care staff will certainly add to the pressures in hospitals, especially intensive care units, where official predictions are for 600 during this pandemic.  

We’ve had months to plan, and communicate yet the delivery is a mess.

In my opinion we must do the following:

1.      Open vaccine clinics immediately and give whatever vaccine exists to the highest risk people.

2.      Ensure that all vaccine available now is used ONLY for high -risk individuals – young children, pregnant women, aboriginal people and people with a chronic disease. This should have been the decision from the outset.

3.      Get the resources and staffing to get on with the job.

4.      Invite all available health professionals, including students and retired, to assist.

5.      Expand the staffing to hospitals to ensure that patients are properly treated and moved quickly to the service appropriate for their condition.

Thousands of high-risk Albertans who should be inoculated against H1N1 have not had access to the potentially life-saving vaccine. After days of six-hour line-ups and inconsistent messages from both the Premier and the Health minister, the Stelmach administration abruptly shut down all of the immunization clinics on Halloween night.

The first duty of a responsible government is to protect its citizens. The Premier’s incoherent response to a serious public health problem is putting our entire population at risk.  Mr. Liepert has shown he’s not up to the challenge, and if he can’t handle a province wide flu clinic, how can he manage a complex province wide health system? He should be replaced immediately.

As nine H1N1  vaccination clinics opened their doors Monday morning in Calgary and Edmonton, they greeted thousands of people, many small children and seniors.  Line ups were long, and many “high risk” candidates were forced to spend hours standing outside as clinics were under order to “not turn anyone away.”

On Monday in the opening question period for this fall’s legislative session, I addressed this issue with the Premier and the Minister of Health.  Both the Premier and the Minister were adamant about defending their vaccination program as it stood.

This is followed by yesterday’s announcement that 11 additional H1N1 vaccination clinics will be open to Albertans in the coming weeks. It is still unclear exactly where and when they will be open. The lack of openness and real planning around this vaccination program is evidence of a government that doesn’t understand this vital service. Twelve Albertans have died from this illness already and we’ve had months to plan for vaccine delivery. This leaves many, including myself, disappointed and angry.  Seasonal vaccination programs are a regular event across the province.

At this rate of vaccination it will be Valentine’s Day before our population is fully immunized!

If I were Premier I’d make this the priority.

Please read the complete transcript from the Hansard below.

Dr. Swann: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Pandemic influenza is here.

The vaccine will save lives, and I applaud the tireless efforts of

health officials and front-line workers delivering this important

preventative measure. I myself will be getting the vaccine when I

have hours to spare. Unfortunately, there are only nine flu clinics

available between Edmonton and Calgary to cover over 2 million

people. My questions are to the Premier. With years of planning for

pandemics already completed, how is it that there are only nine

clinics providing immunization to over 2 million people in Alberta

today?

Mr. Stelmach: Mr. Speaker, as the minister communicated earlier,

there are specific populations that we’re asking to receive their

H1N1 flu vaccine. Over the course of time the vaccine will be

available for all Albertans, but we’re asking those that are more

susceptible to the flu to receive their vaccine today. We’ll ensure

that all other Albertans, including those that may not be at risk as

much as others, receive their vaccine in the province.

Dr. Swann: Well, Mr. Speaker, that was a real dodge.

Will the Premier actually admit that his leadership is responsible

for the lack of staff and the lack of funding for these essential clinics

in Alberta?

Mr. Stelmach: Mr. Speaker, we said many months ago that even

though the budget is under pressure, this is a priority, that we want

to ensure that all Albertans have an opportunity to receive the

vaccine. There are some that still are undecided whether they should

or not. We certainly encourage everyone to receive the vaccine. We

will do everything in our power to make sure that everybody

receives the vaccination.

Dr. Swann: Will the Premier, then, commit to opening new clinics

within days to address the backlog of individuals who need this

vaccination?

Mr. Liepert: Mr. Speaker, let’s be clear. We’ve had a number of

discussions in this House in the past about whether or not government

listens to our chief medical officer of health and our public

health officials. This plan that was rolled out was clearly the plan of

the chief medical officer of health and public officials around the

province. For us as political members of this Assembly to interfere

in that rollout would be inappropriate.

Now, let’s make it clear that every Albertan who wants the

vaccine will receive it. They may not be able to receive it in the first

hour of the first day. We need to ensure that with limited supplies

we get it to the most vulnerable the quickest we can, and that’s the

reason for the clinics as they’re set up today.

The cuts to acute care beds announced last week will have an impact equivalent to losing a major hospital.

To read more from press around the province about the government’s planned cuts to acute care beds in Calgary and Edmonton click on the links below:

The Calgary Herald

The Edmonton Sun

The Lethbridge Herald

David

Aside from antagonizing oil and gas companies with his ever-changing royalty regimes – with another re-jigging reportedly coming in October – and using his ministers as “bad cops” to slash public sector jobs, the Premier has done nothing to address the serious challenges facing Alberta:

·         Record deficit – $7 billion and climbing, plus a $1.1 billion health deficit accumulated since the Premier’s administration merged the health regions

·         Highest unemployment rate in 13 years – 7.4 percent, representing over 157,000 unemployed Albertans, up more than double from last year

·         102 percent increase in bankruptcies

·         ER wait times: median of 16.6 hours in Calgary’s three hospitals as of February 2008; averages between 22.6 and 27.8 hours at Edmonton hospitals as of March 2009; Stelmach administration has stopped publishing statistics on ER wait times since then

·         Rent supplements for Albertans at risk of homelessness have run out

·         Home foreclosures have more than doubled in just two years, from 2,510 in 06-07 to 5,300 today

If I were Premier, I’d immediately stop the wasteful spending on public relations, hospitality, severance packages and bonuses and redundant MLA committees. I’d take action on oil and gas royalties to bring the fairness and stability needed to help industry recover.  I’d forge a common sense plan to tackle the deficit and fix public health care. We’ve had enough panels and committees and studies; it’s time for action, action that’s grounded in an honest analysis of our situation, the best advice from real experts, and the long-term public interest of all Albertans. Instead, the Premier is paralyzed by indecision.

David

First step to a balanced budget: stop the severance bonus round  from Hugh MacDonald, Official Opposition Finance critic.

Thinking outside the borders for fiscal discipline from Bridget Pastoor, Official Opposition critic for International and Intergovernmental Relations.

Advisory Committee on Health is redundant – MLAs already on the job  from Bridget Pastoor, as the Deputy Chair of the Legislature’s Standing Committee on Health.

Mental Health Transitions – No Plan Required? from Kevin Taft, Official Opposition Health and Wellness critic.

David

My colleague Kevin Taft, Official Opposition Health Critic, has produced a special edition of his MLA newsletter, and it paints a disturbing picture of how Tory mismanagement and neglect of the health care system is putting Albertans at risk.

Kevin is the Alberta Liberal MLA for Edmonton-Riverview. The latest edition of the Edmonton-Riverview newsletter features:

·         A timeline of Tory health care decisions, covering missteps from the early 90s to 2009.

·         Quotes from doctors and patients illustrating the challenges health care professionals and Albertans face every day thanks to decades of Tory neglect.

·         Concerns with children being treated in a tent at the Stollery Children’s Hospital, and the new Mazankowski Heart Centre standing empty for over a year.

·         A clear picture of confusion over health care staffing, showing how Tory administrations eliminated thousands of jobs, then identified large staffing shortages, only to freeze hiring this year.

The theme of the newsletter – how quick fixes rarely lead to long-term solutions – is especially timely in the wake of health care spending cuts announced recently by Dr. Stephen Duckett, CEO of Alberta Health Services.

I urge you to read the attached newsletter, as Alberta’s health care system is an important issue close to the hearts of all Albertans.

Please contact my office at any time to share your concerns, or with questions you may have.

#102, 723 14 Street NW

Calgary, AB, T2N 2A4
Tel: (403)216-5445  Fax: (403)216-5447

calgary.mountainview@assembly.ab.ca

Please let me know what you think!

Senior’s longterm care

Accountable government