Strengthening protections for Albertans in care

Proposed amendments to the Protection for Persons in Care Act would strengthen compliance and enforcement processes, improve the framework for appeals and clarify which publicly funded care and support providers are covered.

• The changes would provide clearer protections and stronger tools to ensure corrective actions are completed when abuse concerns are identified.
• Related amendments to the Pharmacy and Drug Act and Health Professions Act would update terminology and references without changing the scope of those acts.

Proposed amendments to the Compassionate Intervention Act would enable the effective and consistent administration of compassionate intervention, while maintaining the safeguards and protections established under the act.

• The changes will strengthen application and hearing processes, support timely access to information, provide more clinical and operational flexibility, and clarify oversight.
• These changes would ensure compassionate intervention can be delivered safely, effectively and consistently, connecting people with the most severe forms of addiction with life-saving treatment and a path to recovery.

The proposed amendments would support a more coordinated approach to administering the Mental Health Act within approved hospitals.

• These changes would allow health service sectors to work together more effectively to support patient care.

Proposed amendments to the Alberta Health Care Insurance Act would maintain no-cost access to publicly funded laboratory services for insured care, while clarifying that services ordered in support of uninsured care, are not eligible for public funding.

• Additional amendments to the act would provide authority to enforce restrictions for physicians who provide health services through self-insurance plans and insurers that offer coverage, including record-keeping and reporting by participating physicians and insurers.
• Albertans would continue to have access to publicly funded health care, and no Albertan would be required to have self-insurance.

Proposed amendments will support the transfer of public health inspectors from Alberta Health Services to Primary Care Alberta.

• Keeping inspectors within an operational health organization supports continuity, clearer accountability and effective delivery of front-line public health services.
• The change would maintain continuity of inspection services while providing clearer organizational alignment and accountability.
• Existing union representation and collective agreements for public health inspectors would be preserved.
• This decision supports inspectors, respects their expertise and keeps them closely connected to front-line public health services.

Proposed amendments to the Labour Relations Code would reflect the creation of provincial health agencies and corporations.

• Existing bargaining units, collective agreements and union representation would continue.
• The long-standing labour relations framework and bargaining processes would remain in place.

Public Sector Compensation Transparency Act:

• To support clear and accurate reporting, when an employee transfers between public sector bodies, the total amount they earned that year from both their previous and current public sector employers would be reported.
• Combined compensation reporting would support complete and accurate public disclosure following organizational changes.
• These changes would not affect the threshold for compensation reporting.

Public Health Act:

• Proposed amendments to the Public Health Act would remove outdated terminology for the Ministry and Department of Education and Childcare.

Provincial Health Agencies Act:

• The proposed amendments would update section 26 of the Provincial Health Agencies Act to add a reference to ‘provincial health corporation’ to ensure that all public health-sector employers, including provincial health corporations, are governed appropriately under the Labour Relations Code.

Health Professions Act:

• Proposed amendments are required to maintain alignment between the Health Professions Act and current government organizational structures and to update statutory language related to practice permits to better ensure clarity.