Alberta to table report with new recommendations to ease EMS pressures

The Alberta government will table a report with 10 new recommendations to ease EMS pressures by the end of July.

The report, drafted by the Alberta EMS Advisory Committee, will outline 10 new recommendations to improve access to EMS services across the province and provide long-term solutions to the EMS crisis.

According to Health Minister Jason Copping, the interim report has been submitted to the health ministry and a final report will be tabled by the end of July. Some of the short-term suggestions will be implemented right away, Copping said.

“I’m pleased to announce that I’ve approved all the current recommendations from the Alberta EMS Advisory Committee.

“These include solutions proposed by frontline workers to do things better and to do them differently… We’re open to trying innovative ways to tackle this problem,” Copping told reporters on Thursday morning.

2:16 Alberta launches advisory committee in response to growing EMS demand

The report comes after the Alberta government struck an advisory committee earlier this year to address challenges facing Alberta’s emergency medical system.

It also comes after the government announced a 10-point plan in January to help relieve pressures on the EMS system.

Grande Prairie MLA Tracy Allard, who co-chairs the Alberta EMS Advisory Committee, said the new recommendations will be implemented in addition to the 10-point plan if the report is passed.

“There is a 10-point plan from Alberta Health Services and then another 10 recommendations that are ready to go… That’s just the way the work unfolded for the minister,” Allard said.

“It’s a result of the urgency (of the matter). We didn’t want to hold the recommendations because we know that this is an urgent issue… That’s under review right now.”

1:08 Alberta EMS demand at historic high, according to chief paramedic

David Shepherd, health critic for the Opposition NDP, said Alberta’s health system is in crisis.

“The UCP’s mismanagement of health care has caused hospitals to close and wait times to get into emergency departments increase, making paramedics travel further and more frequently to care for Albertans. Under the UCP, Albertans are waiting longer than ever for an ambulance while paramedics are working to exhaustion and beyond,” he said in an statement.

“Today’s muddled and confusing announcement offers little to address the crisis at hand or give hope to paramedics who continue to work under extraordinary pressure.

“We do not need another 10-point plan or advisory committee, we need this government to stop ignoring paramedics and take real action.”

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Shepherd said he and Mike Parker, the president of the Health Sciences Association of Alberta and a former paramedic, called for action earlier this month.

“Paramedics must be able to get off shift on time. Paramedics with casual positions should be offered permanent full-time positions. Lastly, the UCP has to provide more services and resources to address the drug poisoning crisis to ease demand on ambulances.”

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But further details about the recommendations are slim, despite Copping and Allard saying they are ready to go.

“The reality is we want to move quickly on these and get them out in an announcement today so we can actually make an impact on the system as soon as possible,” Copping said.

Short-term recommendations focus on staffing, improving efficiency

Copping also announced Thursday the province will be providing a one-year exemption from current staffing requirements that will allow emergency medical responders — a level of EMS practitioner — to staff more ambulances.

According to Copping, this will allow two emergency medical responders to transfer stable patients without the need for a higher-level paramedic for non-emergency transportation and will free up other paramedics for other urgent calls.

“I approved this temporary staffing exemption based on a request from AHS and a recommendation from the provincial EMS advisory committee. The change is in line with other provinces including B.C., Saskatchewan and Manitoba,” Copping said.

1:43 Alberta EMS union says system on verge of collapse

In addition to the temporary staffing exemption, two pilot projects were announced to improve emergency services in Strathcona County and Spruce Grove, which include:

• Deploying a community response unit as part of EMS services provided by Strathcona County Emergency Services
• Allowing cross-trained firefighters-paramedics to function as medical first responders in Spruce Grove

The province will also form an Emergency Department Delay Task Force to improve patient access to emergency departments and health services.

It will also review alternative service delivery options for patients who do not need an ambulance and ways to assess less urgent calls with other safe alternative options.

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With files from Emily Mertz, Global News