Saskatchewan says ‘standing still’ not an option under new health-care plan

Premier Scott Moe says the new plan focuses on improving access to primary care providers, with nurse practitioners a key element.

After hinting at it a week ago, Saskatchewan Premier Scott Moe has unveiled his plan to address health care, which focuses on improving access.

But the opposition NDP say the plan is a “recycle” of a health-care strategy from 14 years ago.

Moe said the “Patients First Health Care Plan” will ensure people get the “right care in the right place at the right time.”

“We have listened to people across the province, listened to patients, listened to families and listened to providers,” Moe said. “What we’ve heard is really reflected in the two commitments in the 2024 speech from the throne following the election: access to primary health-care providers for everyone in Saskatchewan was a commitment that we made and access to timely surgeries and diagnostics, also a commitment that we made.”

The premier touted the plan as having more than 50 actions being taken, including expanding access to virtual care, increasing the number of urgent care centres and access to them and continuing to recruit and train more doctors, nurses and nurse practitioners.

Moe said with the plan, they’re also setting new targets that include a three-month wait time for surgeries by 2028, have 90 per cent of patients waiting for a diagnostic to receive it within 60 days or less and complete 450,000 surgeries over the course of four years.

The province said Monday it would streamline health-care recruitment, expand its recruitment incentives and increase training, including by adding more seats for medical training and residencies.

According to the plan, this also includes increasing nurse practitioner positions in emergency rooms and urgent care centres to reduce wait times.