EDMONTON, AB: Despite the NDP government throwing an extra half a billion dollars into the health care system, wait times for key surgeries continue to get worse while the government is failing to meet wait time targets for children requiring mental health supports, Wildrose Shadow Health Minister Drew Barnes said.
The first quarter report from Alberta Health Services (AHS) on monitoring measures for 2016-17 was released showing performance measures under the NDP’s heavily centralized and bureaucratic health care model continue to get worse.
| Procedure | Q1 Wait Time (90th percentile in weeks) | Trend (Year over Year) |
| Knee Replacement | 47.9 | +2.9 weeks |
| Hip Replacement | 38.7 | +1.8 weeks |
| Cataract Surgeries | 37.7 | +0.8 weeks |
“The NDP government claim to be champions of our health care system by throwing more money at it, but outcomes continue to get worse for patients,” Barnes said. “Spending isn’t the solution, we need innovation and better use of current resources. This latest report from AHS shows that under the NDP, our health care system continues to deteriorate for those waiting for important procedures.”
The percentage of children receiving scheduled treatment from referral for mental health services has dropped to 69 per cent, 13 per cent below the 2014-15 fiscal year.
Barnes said that the $200 million the NDP government is wasting by refusing to privatize laundry services should be prioritized to reduce these wait times and offer better mental health services for those in need.
“The NDP government seems more interested in protecting government run linen services than helping patients suffering and children in need of better supports,” Barnes said. “This report should be a serious reality check for the government that their current plan isn’t working.”