Health Council of Canada supports Alberta's commitment to timely, accessible
primary health care

TORONTO, Dec. 8 /CNW/ - The Health Council of Canada commends Alberta Health and Wellness/Alberta Health Services for their recent commitment to improving the quality of primary health care, and investing in primary health care teams. The Health Council notes that this investment could see more effective use of overburdened emergency departments and more appropriate and integrated care options for patients.

In their action plan, Becoming the Best: Alberta's 5-Year Health Action Plan 2010-2015, the province commits to reducing emergency room visits for health conditions that may be appropriately managed at a family physician's office from 28% in 2008/2009 to 22% in 2013/2014. The province commits to providing 100,000 more Albertans access to primary health care teams by 2012. 

In a recent bulletin, How do Canadians Rate the Health Care System?, the Health Council of Canada examined data evaluating Canadians' perceptions of our health care system compared to 10 other OECD countries. Survey results indicate that almost half of Canadians who used an emergency department in the last two years could have been treated by their regular care provider had the provider been available especially after hours and on weekends.

"We applaud Alberta's commitment to taking specific action on a known problem, thus improving primary health care for its citizens," said John G. Abbott, CEO, Health Council of Canada.

Alberta Health Services' goal is to provide Albertans access to an appropriate member of a primary health care team within two days of a request for care. In order to achieve this, they will increase the involvement of nurse practitioners, and other health-care providers, and expand the role of pharmacists to help manage medications.

"These measures are a step in the right direction, and we look forward to the resulting improvements," said Abbott.

About the Health Council of Canada
Created by the 2003 First Ministers' Accord on Health Care Renewal, the Health Council of Canada is an independent national agency that reports on the progress of health care renewal in Canada. The Council provides a system-wide perspective on health care reform in Canada, and disseminates information on best practices and innovation across the country. The Councillors are appointed by the participating provincial and territorial governments and the Government of Canada.

To download reports and other Health Council materials, visit www.healthcouncilcanada.ca.

For further information:

or to arrange an interview please contact:

Yeena Peng, Media Relations, Health Council of Canada
[email protected], O: 416-480-7100, C: 416-407-2635