The United Nurses of Alberta-North District held a rally and information picket against the province's decision to overhaul Alberta Health Service (AHS) outside of the Pomeroy Hotel in Grande Prairie on Tuesday. 

“The Government of Alberta has misdiagnosed the problems in Alberta’s health care system and has prescribed a course of treatment that will not solve them,” said UNA in a media release.

UNA says the reorganization of AHS will not encourage family physicians to practice or keep their practices open longer, recruit or retain medical professionals, shorten wait times or improve access to care for Albertans.

“We really are in a crisis, and the idea that this is the right time to restructure the health care system and create uncertainty around who even gets to make decisions seems absolutely ludicrous,” said Danielle Larivee, UNA first vice president. 

“We're really worried about what it means for patient safety, and it's also pushing nurses to the brink when there's not enough nurses,” she said.

“They're working overtime all the time. And it's bringing a substantial number of nurses ready to leave their jobs.”

She said Minister of Health Adriana LaGrange needs to “focus on what really matters” including the reduced services due to physician shortages.

“Albertans deserve to know that when they are sick, that they can have access to the health care they need as close to home as possible, and that's not happening right now,” said Larivee. 

Other unions, including the Alberta Union of Provincial Employees (AUPE) and the Health Sciences Association of Alberta (HSAA), participated in the rally in solidarity.

“We predict months of organizational chaos and inertia as leaders at all levels of the system figure out their new roles and to whom they are accountable,” said UNA.

“Meanwhile, at the point of care, health care workers will – as has happened in past reorganizations – experience decisional paralysis and an inability to make positive changes in the system.”

Sandra Azocar, AUPE vice president, said, “we are keeping a very close eye on some of the significant changes that she's making to our public health care without consulting with staff who know the issues firsthand.”

She said that as the province moves to change AHS, healthcare professionals do not know what the future holds. 

“Some of these changes are quite significant in terms of how services will be delivered, and that's what concerns us is the lack of information that's coming out,” said Azocar.

The picket was held outside the hotel due to the province holding public engagement sessions inside the hotel.

UNA said 13 north district locals participated in the picket, from Grande Cache to High Level and High Prairie to the B.C. border.