The United Nurses of Alberta (UNA) said it is concerned about a memo from Alberta Health Services (AHS) instructing its senior leaders to reduce overtime and staffing by at least 10%. “The impact of such an inflammatory policy will be more burn-out and sick time among front-line staff and will undermine efforts to retain and recruit front-line healthcare employees,” said UNA Labour Relations Director David Harrigan in a letter to AHS Labour Relations Executive Director Leland McEwan. “The reaction of front-line nurses represented by UNA and members of other unions is bound to be extremely harsh.”Because of the crisis in Alberta’s healthcare system, Harrigan urged AHS to accept its fragility. If AHS follows through on its cost management strategies, he said it “is tantamount to lighting a match in a powder keg.”“We would hope AHS does not intend to pursue policies that are certain to have a serious impact on front-line service delivery, patient safety and labour relations,” he said. AHS Acting Chief Financial Officer Michael Lam informed its senior leaders in a memo it is forecasting an operating deficit for the 2023/2024 fiscal year. “This is largely due to increased vacancies and unplanned absences (e.g. sick leave) — both of which result in increased costs and overtime,” said Lam. “Action is required to continue to meet our high standard of care and realize a balanced budget.”Lam outlined four strategies he wanted senior managers to implement. These strategies were approval by a vice-president or executive leadership team member to recruit for any vacant position, except for existing non-management ones in clinical areas; an end to discretionary spending on travel, non-clinical equipment, office supplies and the like; no additional spending by areas with remaining budgets; and a 10% cut to overtime and staffing.At the moment, he said it is reviewing all organizational initiatives to determine if they can be slowed or paused and management strategies around overtime and staffing. “All non-clinical overtime requires Vice President or ELT leader approval, and all areas are asked to monitor and implement strategies to reduce the use of overtime and agency staffing in their areas by at least 10%, while minimizing impacts to front-line service delivery,” he said. UNA President Heather Smith called it “all very well to talk about minimizing impacts to front-line services, but this simply cannot be done while cutting emergency staffing and overtime by 10%.”“This is a prescription for driving nurses and other healthcare workers out of the province and out of the profession,” said Smith. “This is absolutely contrary to what the government says it intends to do to encourage front-line healthcare services in Alberta.”What Smith finds most troubling is Alberta Premier Danielle Smith has refused to disclose if she has been vaccinated and has officials suppressing information about the spread of COVID-19 and other respiratory illnesses. The Alberta government said in November it will reorient the healthcare system on Albertans to improve health outcomes for them and empower healthcare workers to deliver quality care. READ MORE: UPDATED: Alberta government to dismantle AHS, focus on more timely healthcare systems“Albertans deserve access to the healthcare they need, when and where they need it,” said Danielle. “Healthcare workers move mountains for their patients every day.”
