75-Minute Debate (30 April 2026)

From Hansard (30 April 2026)

To view this section on video, click here and start play at 11:43:05 AM.

Health Care System Improvements

The Assembly was debating the following motion moved by Kevin Weedmark (Sask Party - Moosomin-Montmartre):

That this Assembly commend the government for putting patients first with new and innovative health care practices, hiring and training new health care workers with the nation’s most ambitious HHRA plan, and building new health care facilities, not closing them.

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Megan Patterson: — Thank you, Mr. Speaker. It’s a great privilege to rise in this Chamber and enter into this debate. I am also privileged to sit on this side of the Chamber with a government focused on key priorities, including keeping our economy strong, our communities safe, and our future secure. A strong, accessible health care system is a core component of a secure future.

That is why in this budget we chose to honour our campaign promises, continue with promised tax reductions, and not cut services that the people of this province depend on, including health care. Because health care touches everyone in this province. Strong communities depend on strong health care. Good health care is the most important thing that we possess, and this government understands how critical health care is.

This government is also rooted in reality versus ideology. And we understand the dynamics of the province are changing so new, innovative solutions are needed to address the challenges of today.

Mr. Speaker, choices matter. Every choice we make sends a signal about who we are and the kind of province that we want to build together. We have been listening to Saskatchewan residents, and the two concerns that we’ve heard from the people of Saskatchewan were around affordability and health care. And our most recent budget addresses both of these and puts patients at the heart of the choices and strategies that we are using to address them.

[11:45]

In this budget our government had a choice, as I said: to cut services, raise taxes, or protect Saskatchewan. We chose to protect Saskatchewan.

The ’26-27 budget for health care is $8.5 million. This is the largest budget for health care in Saskatchewan history. This increased investment will help us address the challenges facing health care and improve access and outcomes for all people in the province.

Today provinces across the country are struggling to find health care providers. Our population has increased 28 per cent in the last 20 years. People are living longer, and health care is more complex. These realities require the thoughtful and innovative strategies laid out in the patients-first health care plan. With this plan we are working to address the challenges facing the health care system and to improve access and outcomes for everyone.

We have heard that people want access to a health care provider and they want diagnostics and surgeries in a more timely manner. The patients-first health care plan addresses these concerns. It outlines 50 actions to ensure patients are receiving the care that they need in the right place at the right time.

Our patients-first care plan is based on five key pillars: expanding access to care, growing the health care workforce, modernizing care delivery and scope of practice, improving safe and quality care, and improving and building facilities. In the interest of time, I’m just going to focus on the top three.

Expanding access to care. This is about connecting people to the right care at the right time in the right place, as close to home as possible. We have expanded the role of nurse practitioners, launching new primary care teams. And we have committed to building new urgent care centres. In Moose Jaw we have three new nurse practitioners who will be providing care for at least 2,400 additional patients. This will mean more patients attached to a health care provider, less pressure on the emergency department, and care that’s consistent and close to home.

I am so proud of the steps we are taking to increase nurse practitioners in our province and to expand their scope of practice. Traditionally many nurses have been female, and increasing the ability for females to take a leadership role in our health care system is good for patients. It’s good for families, communities, and our province.

Our government is also committed to building an urgent care facility in Moose Jaw. This is another example of our government’s commitment to building health care facilities, not closing them, unlike the opposition did when they were in government.

So pillar two is growing the health care workforce. This pillar focuses on continuing to recruit, train, and increase the number of doctors, nurses, and nurse practitioners in the province. The work through the Saskatchewan Healthcare Recruitment Agency and the most ambitious health care human resources plan in the nation has been working. There are thousands more health care providers in our province today. We’ve added 7,500 health care workers since 2022.

We’ve expanded the rural and remote incentive program bringing the total number of communities eligible to 82. This program alone has helped to fill over 500 hard-to-recruit positions. We’ve added training seats, medical residency seats, and we are expanding rural pathways in creating new positions, such as the physician assistant role, to expand team-based care. Through these actions and others, we are increasing the supply of health care providers in our province.

Pillar three: modernizing delivery and scope of practice. This pillar is critical, and it’s about using new technologies, approaches, and common sense for better care in today’s environment. We are using strategies that include expanding the scope of practice for all health care professionals to the top of their scope. This will allow professionals to work to their full training and expertise.

This will allow us to better use the people already in our health care system. Patients will receive faster care with fewer hand-offs. Expanding the scope of practice will also likely improve the workplace experience for health care providers and improve retention because professionals will be empowered to do the work that they are trained to do.

Available incentives to upgrade their skills and positions are a benefit to all workers everywhere in all industries. We are also improving career pathways available and incentivizing moving ahead and getting additional training. This will also improve workplace satisfaction and is a key pillar in improving retention.

Another key action in this pillar is expanding access to care through the virtual care physician program for rural doctors and unattached patients; reduce unneeded visits, travel; and to provide better access to care. So planning is under way for new urgent care centres not only in Moose Jaw, but Prince Albert, North Battleford as well, further demonstrating our commitment to increasing access.

In this budget, Mr. Speaker, we had a choice. We could increase taxes or cut services or protect Saskatchewan. We chose to protect Saskatchewan. And in fact in important services like health care, we are making significant investments in the patients-first health care plan to ensure everyone has access to the right care at the right time as close to home as possible.

In our patients-first health care plan we are building on the commitments that we made in the election, ensuring that every resident will have access to a primary care provider, and ensuring timely access to surgery. This patients-first plan will ultimately transform Saskatchewan’s health care system. It’s our commitment to put patients first and improve outcomes for everyone.

With that, I will be supporting the motion put forth by the member from Montmartre-Moosomin.

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After 65 minutes of debate, there is a 10-minute question and answer period. The following section begins at 12:02:00 in the video.

Vicki Mowat: — Thank you, Mr. Speaker. How does the member for Moose Jaw Wakamow think that the lack of a contract or raise in the last four years will impact recruitment and retention of health care workers?

Megan Patterson: — Thank you for the question. So, Mr. Speaker, our government believes in the efficiency and the fairness of collective bargaining. We are hoping for a fair deal, and we hope that it comes sooner than later. But agreement is best made at the bargaining table, not here in the Legislative Assembly. Thank you.

. . .

Keith Jorgenson: — Thank you so much, Mr. Deputy Speaker. My question is for the member from Moose Jaw Wakamow. I’d like to ask the member from Moose Jaw Wakamow why she has never once posted a health care disruption or notice on her personal social media? Does she not want people in her community to know when the hospital is closed?

Megan Patterson: — Thank you. Thank you, Mr. Deputy Speaker. The Saskatchewan Health Authority has a process to inform people in this province when there are disruptions. So it is on their website.

And we recently actually just issued a press release. In the press release it says, as of May 19th, 2026 the frequency of updates on the website will double, occurring twice a day, at 9 a.m. and 4 p.m.

This in addition to live updates being available online, like when people call 811. Thank you, Mr. Deputy Speaker.

. . .

Vicki Mowat: — Mr. Speaker, the Sask Party also announced patient-first health plans in 2009, 2012, and 2015. To the member from Moose Jaw Wakamow: how can people trust that it’s real this time?

Megan Patterson: — Thank you, Mr. Deputy Speaker. I would just like to read some quotes from some experts in the industry.

According to the Canadian Institute for Health Information: “Saskatchewan’s recent investments are making a difference. Saskatchewan is one of the strongest health care workforces in Canada with staffing levels that surpassed the national average.”

And, Mr. Deputy Speaker, I’d like to also add another quote from an expert in the industry. This is a quote from Dr. Mike Kelly, our provincial head of surgery:

I appreciate the clarity and the structure provided in the patients-first health care plan. The focus on coordinated system improvements and enhanced surgical access will help guide our teams as we work to deliver consistent, high-quality care across the province.

Thank you, Mr. Deputy Speaker.

. . .

Vicki Mowat: — Mr. Speaker, one of the ideas we brought forward in our two pages of private members’ bills that exist on the bills that are currently before the Assembly is Bill 606, which my colleague from Walsh Acres brought forward on reporting ER closures.

To the member for Moose Jaw Wakamow: do you believe in transparency? And will you be supporting this bill?

Megan Patterson: — Thank you, Mr. Deputy Speaker. Of course transparency is important. And that’s why our Saskatchewan Health Authority has a process to let people of the province know when there are disruptions.

On November 10th, 2025 the SHA launched a new process to provide patients, families, and communities with accurate and reliable information about emergency room availability. All emergency room service disruptions, regardless of their length, are now posted publicly on the SHA website with updates occurring daily at 4 p.m.

And as of today the frequency of updates to the website will double, occurring twice a day, at 9 a.m. and at 4 p.m. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

. . .

Keith Jorgenson: — Nice to see you back, Mr. Speaker. So I have a question for the member from Moose Jaw Wakamow. Recently the SHA board had a two-minute meeting. And so I would just like the member from Moose Jaw Wakamow to explain to me why on earth a board for an $8 billion organization only meets for two minutes.

Megan Patterson: — Thank you, Mr. Speaker. On this side our government has great admiration and respect and confidence in our public service, including the SHA. Thank you.

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