May 20, 2022
The AMA says persistent staffing challenges are taking a toll on all facets of the healthcare system, adding those pressures are being felt most acutely in emergency departments. The association says the combined effect is a severe access block, where patients in the ER requiring inpatient care can't access the hospital beds they need, leading to overcrowding and delays in care. To fix the problem, the AMA says there are several things the province could do:
- In the short-term, the association is calling for AHS to share data with physicians around wait times and access blocks to care and specialized care so they can track trends and offer advice on how to direct resources; and
- In the long-term, the province needs to attract and make incentives for doctors to work in Alta.
For its part, Alberta Health Services is turning to travel nurses contracted by private agencies to fill gaps in hospitals. There are nearly 200 RNs, LPNs and healthcare aides supplied by staffing agencies working in the province's hospitals and continuing care homes.