Alberta: Collective bargaining agreement not coming fast enough to save health care system

An Alberta doctors' association warns that the government is not keeping its promises, even though a new collective agreement with the province is about to be implemented.

Dr. Shelley Duggan, the new president of the Alberta Medical Association, says doctors are concerned that the province's health care system is on the verge of collapse, and the collective bargaining agreement is still awaiting approval from the provincial tax office.

The association's former president, Dr Paul Parks, said Prime Minister Danielle Smith had promised the agreement by September and the delay was damaging the crisis-hit health system.

Parks says the government's efforts to dismantle the provincial health authority could create chaos and that the creation of multiple layers of administration could hinder coordination.

Health Minister Adriana LaGrange recently stated that the government would work towards a fair and sustainable remuneration model for general practitioners.

Late last year, Smith announced a federal grant of $200 million over two years to help doctors keep their practices open; in February, the province provided an additional $57 million.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published September 23, 2024.