Province to consult on new Health Act

Premier EdStelmach's government says it plans to move quickly in consulting the public and health-care providers on a new Alberta Health Act, whichis expected to be introduced this fall.

The government has accepted the four main recommendationsin the 48-page Ministers Advisory Committee on Health report, which was delivered Jan. 20, Alberta Health and Wellness Minister Gene Zwozdeskysaid Friday.

"The committees report proposes a new foundation for health based on a clear commitment to our public health system and clarity about what Albertans can expect from it," Zwozdesky said in a news release.

"Albertans want greater certainty in how the public health-care system will function and they want the complete assurance they will have a meaningful say in its development."

The report said Alberta should create its own charter of rights for patients and define principles of accountability, access and transparency that must be maintained in the health-care system.

It also said the province should consolidate a number of provincial health-care laws, including the Hospitals Act, the Nursing Homes Act and the Health Insurance Premium Act.

The opposition was quick to jump on the recommendations last month, charging that they will do little to help people with their health-care needs.

But Zwozdesky said the government plans to move swiftly. The public consultation will take place over the next six months, leading to the introduction of new legislation this fall.

"We want to act quickly on taking the next steps," Zwozdesky told reporters at a news conference in Edmonton.

"We have enough reports. You never have enough consultation, however. So we're going to expand the horizon of consultation, engagement and input."

Details of how the public consultation will be handled will be released in a few weeks.

The co-chair of the Minister's Advisory Committee on Health, Edmonton-Rutherford MLA Fred Horne, is in charge of making those arrangements. They could include town hall meetings or written submissions that can be filed over the internet.

"For some people, they will be comfortable with sort of a traditional round table dialogue in their home community and I'll work with my MLA colleagues to make sure they have those opportunities," said Horne.

"There are a lot of web-based tools that are available now for people to provide feedback as well so we'll be looking at that any route in which people wish to provide input."