Dr. Swann: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. A two and a half year evaluation of the primary care initiative found that relative to patients not served by a primary care network, the primary care network generated considerable benefits to patients with respect to access to a family doctor, less use of an emergency room, and greater patient satisfaction, yet we hear planning from the Premier on developing family clinics rather than decisions to strength the development of primary care networks. To the health minister: why was this costly publicly funded report kept from the public?

Mr. Horne: Mr. Speaker, I thank the hon. member for the question. I couldn’t agree more with respect to the success we’ve seen in improved care for Albertans through primary care networks. I continue to work closely with PCNs and with the Alberta Medical Association to look at ways we can better support PCNs in the future. That said, family care clinics are also a part of the evolution of primary health care in Alberta. We’ll have more to say about that model as it is developed, but I want to make it clear to this House that family care clinics are not a substitute for PCNs.

The Speaker: The hon. member, please.

Dr. Swann: Thank you. To the minister: what is the Premier trying to fix through her family clinic proposals and at what cost?

Mr. Horne: Well, Mr. Speaker, as I said, this is very much a model in development. The Premier has talked about family care clinics as an enhancement to primary health care in Alberta. Perhaps in future, as this is developed, we’ll be in a position to talk a bit more. But they will emphasize the use of other health professions to support physicians, notably nurse practitioners, pharmacists, and others. We intend them to offer standard hours of service in local communities, and we intend for communities to have a role in planning a family care clinic for their community.

Dr. Swann: Well, that’s good to know, Mr. Speaker, and all of these changes would be welcomed by the primary care networks, I’m sure.

Just how committed is the government to primary care networks if it keeps them funded at 2003 levels? What is the plan to strengthen them and help their development?

Mr. Horne: Mr. Speaker, certainly, financial resources are an important part of the support that’s offered to primary care net-works and to all practitioners in primary health care. I would direct the member to discussions that we had earlier this week wherein I explained to him the work we were doing collaboratively with PCNs and with the Alberta Medical Association to look at what we can do to better support primary care networks in the future. We’re very proud of the fact that there are 41 of these networks today, serving approximately 2.8 million Albertans.

Alberta Hansard, November 30, 2011

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