Healthcare

Albertans are understandably worried. They can’t find a family doctor. They can’t access mental health treatment. Hospitals are overcrowded and healthcare workers are overworked. Their healthcare system is in crisis, its cracks exposed by the pandemic. However, there is hope. 

By working collaboratively with healthcare professionals we have found and will continue to find solutions to improve our healthcare system and end the crisis.

Finding Family Doctors: Your healthcare needs to be personal, coming from a professional who knows your medical history and knows you. In-and-outs at the emergency room or walk-in clinic are not enough to keep Albertans healthy. That’s why we're committed to making sure every Albertan has a family doctor by: 

• Treating doctors and healthcare workers with respect. No more political wars that drive them from the province. 
• Providing more funding and support to ease the administrative and business burdens of family practice. Let’s help our doctors focus on patients, not filling out forms and spreadsheets. 
• Working with stakeholders to address the causes of vacancies in the field of family medicine 
• Better integrating specialists, mental health practitioners, nurse practitioners, and other healthcare professionals into primary care clinics to reduce the burden on family doctors. 

Mental Health Matters: Albertans know mental health is as important as physical health. Other parties say the same. But their funding commitments haven’t shown it. The Alberta Liberals would increase funding for mental health. 

Investing in Prevention: Preventative care keeps people healthy, lowering the burden on our healthcare system and lowering costs. The Alberta Liberals support striking a task force to examine how to make preventative care and other preventative measures a centerpiece of Alberta’s healthcare system. 

Long Term and Homecare: Alberta faces a demographic challenge as aging baby boomers will require more long term and home care. If not addressed, an even greater burden will be put on our already struggling acute care system. Alberta Liberals will invest in these areas to meet the aging population's challenges and seniors' healthcare needs. 

Expanding the Role of Nurse Practitioners: Nurse Practitioners are educated at a master’s level to independently diagnose and treat illnesses, but our system currently underutilizes their talents and education. Alberta Liberals would expand their role in emergency rooms, chronic care, and wherever else they are needed. 

Addressing Addiction: Alberta liberals follow the evidence when it comes to addiction. Supervised consumption, safe supply, and treatment all play a critical role in ending the cycle of addiction and in keeping our streets safer. We support all three, including free addiction counseling.  

Stollery Hospital: Alberta Liberals support expanding funding for the Stollery Children’s Hospital to expand its capacity to meet the growing demand for its services. 

Efficient healthcare delivery methods:  We would strike a task force to examine how healthcare can be delivered more efficiently through such things as multi-disciplinary clinics so that Albertans can have quicker access when needed and surgical wait times can be reduced.  Too many Albertans suffer too long in pain waiting for treatment.