Doctors, nurses, front-line workers join NDP to speak out against cuts to health care

FILE: It was an honour to have so many frontline patient care providers incl. nurses & physicians join me today to call on Jason Kenney & the UCP to rethink their proposed reckless cuts to healthcare jobs & MD fees – cuts guaranteed to jeopardize patient care. (Photo: DShepYEG/Twitter)

EDMONTON – NDP Opposition Critic for Health, David Shepherd was joined by over a dozen front-line workers, physicians, and nurses in calling on the UCP government to reverse harmful cuts to health care that will affect patient care and front-line services.

In addition to news Friday that over 5,000 nurses will be fired, or see their positions contracted out to private providers, the UCP government is proposing changes that will decrease compensation for primary care physicians.

Dr. Lauren Eastman said, “If these proposals go through, the effects on our healthcare system will be devastating. Patients without good, comprehensive primary care will ultimately be forced to higher cost areas of our healthcare system such as emergency departments and admissions to hospital.”

“Changes this government is making to doctor compensation is leaving me feeling scared, disillusioned, angry and very undervalued,” said Dr. Bailey Adams from St. Albert.

Nurses are also raising alarm bells over the cuts planned by Jason Kenney and this UCP government.

“Nurses are the backbone of our healthcare system, we work weekends, nights, and holidays. I have been an RN for 36 years and was a resident of Alberta during the Klein years in the 90s.  All I can say is ‘what a fiasco!’” Mary Knight, Registered Nurse in Edmonton.

“These cuts will have an impact on patient care, no matter how much Minster Tyler Shandro and Jason Kenney deny it,” said NDP MLA David Shepherd. “Albertans are not buying this government’s decision to hand $4.7 billion over to large, profitable corporations while they make cuts to our health services and front-line care.”