November 16, 2019 9:30 AM
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Bill 207 puts personal beliefs of health care providers ahead of professional obligations to patients
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Bill 207: Conscience Rights (Health Care Providers) Protection Act was introduced by Peace River MLA Dan Williams on November 7. After passing first reading, Bill 207 was referred to the Standing Committee on Private Bills and Private Members Public Bills. On November 18th, this committee — comprised of 4 NDP and 7 UCP MLAs —will meet to determine if this bill has the merits to proceed for fulsome debate in the legislature.
This bill is a veiled attack on access to legal health care services such as abortion, gender affirming care, and Medical Assistance in Dying (MAID). If passed, Bill 207 will create major delays and barriers to people accessing medically necessary services in a province where access is already very difficult.
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November 07, 2019 3:16 PM
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Bill 207 is a political attack on Albertans' access to legal health care services
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Peace River MLA Dan Williams' introduction of private member’s Bill 207: Conscience Rights (Health Care Providers) Protection Act, is a disingenuous political attack on access to legal health care services such as abortion and Medical Assistance in Dying (MAID). By using the narrative of ‘conscience rights’ the UCP government and MLA Williams do not mean the freedom of conscience afforded under the Charter of Rights and Freedoms. This narrative simply points directly to the right of a provider of public services to provide those services selectively.
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October 28, 2019 1:54 PM
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The future of Laboratory Services in Northern Alberta still uncertain under Budget 2019
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Budget 2019 released yesterday referred only briefly to the issue of laboratory services, indicating that we will see the removal of the Edmonton Clinical Laboratory Hub project, which was set to cost $579 Million. “Budget 2019 makes no mention or addresses any moneys being allocated to a future facility or to renew much needed equipment,” indicates Sandra Azocar, executive director of Friends of Medicare.
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October 24, 2019 5:55 PM
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Restrained spending in budget 2019 is the wrong prescription for Alberta
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Although budget 2019 sees a slight increase in spending in health care (1%), it does not meet inflation and population growth (3.5%). "When a government is not able to provide health care to meet the needs of a growing population, it is a cut," says Sandra Azocar, executive director of Friends of Medicare. "As one goes down line by line through the budget, what we're seeing is a decrease in most areas of the health care budget."
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October 17, 2019 2:42 PM
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LPNs will see their role expanded in 2020, but no clear commitment to increased supports
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On Thursday afternoon, Health Minister Tyler Shandro announced that he is widening the scope of practice for licenced practical nurses (LPNs). This expansion will come into effect on February 1st, 2020, and will impact over 16,000 LPNs across Alberta.
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October 07, 2019 12:00 PM
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“Alberta open for business” resonates loudly in Alberta’s broken seniors’ care system –
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At noon on October 7th, Friends of Medicare will be standing side by side with the 53 workers from Vegreville Century Park, as they fight to save their jobs.
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September 03, 2019 2:47 PM
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Government-appointed “Blue Ribbon Panel” sets the stage for 4 years of unwarranted austerity budgets
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Although health care took a back seat to “jobs, pipelines, economy” during the recent election, it was expected and reasonable to assume that health care should now become a much spoken about subject area.
The UCP appointed Janice MacKinnon to chair the Blue Ribbon Panel, and to look into our province’s expenditures. The panel was given a very narrow mandate to examine expenses but not revenues, which will come later on in the UCP mandate. Instead, the panel was tasked with recommending a path to a balanced budget by the year 2022-23, without raising taxes.
“With the release of the much awaited ‘Blue Ribbon Panel report,’ we heard what we can expect from this government, and it confirmed that Albertans will be faced with 4 years of unwarranted austerity budgets and imposed legislative changes,” indicates Sandra Azocar, executive director Friends of Medicare.
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