Government Motion (12 May 2026)

From Hansard (12 May 2026)

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Support for the Patients-First Health Care Plan

The Assembly was debating the following motion moved by Jeremy Cockrill (Sask Party - The Battlefords):

That this House endorses and supports the Government of Saskatchewan’s patient-first health care plan, including the more than 50 action items to put patients first, which include: expands scope of practice for health care professionals; expands virtual care to connect as many people as possible with a primary care provider; uses privately delivered, publicly funded surgeries to achieve 450,000 surgeries over four years; and increases nurse practitioner training capacity by 45 per cent.

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Megan Patterson: — Thank you, Mr. Speaker. It is a great privilege to rise today to speak to our patients-first health care plan.

I know first-hand how important health care is. When I was just 19 years old, I was involved in a motor vehicle accident and I spent the next two weeks unconscious. When I woke up, I couldn’t see properly, I couldn’t move the right side of my body, I couldn’t speak, and I had trouble breathing. I spent the next 10 years of my life in recovery and rehabilitation and adapting to my new realities.

I believe in the months that I have been in the hospital, because of the multiple therapists and specialists I have seen and the many nurses I have interacted with, it’s given me an added perspective to speak on health care in this province. I am someone who has had a lot of experience with health care, and I am proud to say that I am happy to stand behind our Minister of Health and this government and the patients-first health care plan that we’re investing in.

We are making record investments in health care to literally revolutionize our health care system. In this budget we honoured our campaign promises, did not cut services, but actually increased investment in important services like health care. You know, our spending is the highest in history in health care at $8.5 billion.

This week, Mr. Speaker, is National Nursing Week, and we recognize the importance of nurses. And it’s fitting because in this patients-first health care plan, we are expanding the role of nurse practitioners. The theme is ”The Power of Nurses to Transform Health,” and you know, we are doing that. We are enabling the transformation of the health care system by taking advantage of the capabilities and the ability of nurses in our province.

This government, I’m proud to say, is actually rooted in reality versus ideology and understands that the dynamics of our province are changing. Today provinces all 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 thoughtful, innovative health care solutions as laid out in the strategies in the patients-first health care plan. It outlines over 50 actions to ensure patients are receiving the right care in the right place at the right time, focused on five key pillars: expanding access to care, growing the health care workforce, modernizing delivery and scope of practice, improving safe and quality care, and improving facilities and equipment.

In Moose Jaw, in addition to our residency program, we have three new nurse practitioners and maybe more who will be providing care to at least 2,400 additional patients in our city. This will mean more patients attached to a health care provider and less pressure on the emergency room, and care that’s consistent and close to home. This will open up more access points across the province and give patients timely care closer to home.

Mr. Speaker, our Moose Jaw Health Foundation continues to work hard to enable patients to receive the right care closer to home. This past weekend they held their 20th Annual 800 CHAB Family First Radiothon, raising over $360,000 to expand chemotherapy services at the F.H. Wigmore Hospital. This campaign was started by a chemo patient who wanted to make a difference in the lives of other cancer patients. The expansion of services will allow patients in Moose Jaw to receive cancer care treatment closer to home without having to travel.

I want to give a special thanks to Rob Carnie and Jordan Rivers for their commitment to our city. They anchor the coverage on air, broadcasting it live, interviewing dozens of people for 26 hours over the two-day radiothon. Over the last 20 years this radiothon has been so successful. It has raised over $6.2 million for our hospital. I also want to extend my sincere thanks to Kelly McElree and the Moose Jaw Health Foundation and the many dedicated supporters for their generosity. I am so proud to represent the wonderful people in the city of Moose Jaw.

So our government is also focused on bringing care closer to home for people in Moose Jaw by committing to an urgent care facility. This will take pressure off the emergency room and provide more access and more timely care for patients in Moose Jaw.

Again, I am proud to be a part of a government and a party that is focused on reality and results, not ideology. We know the people want more timely access to surgery, and so our government will continue to offer publicly funded, privately delivered surgeries because that’s how we can deliver results.

We are continuing to focus on recruitment, retention, and training, 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. It will improve workforce experience for health care providers and improve retention, as professionals will be empowered to do the work they are trained to do.

We are also expanding access to care through Virtual Health Hub for rural doctors and unattached patients to reduce ER pressures. During the COVID pandemic, I had the opportunity to use virtual care and . . . I breathe with a tracheostomy and I was terrified to go anywhere. I didn’t want to go to the doctor and I definitely did not want to go to the hospital. So to have the option to talk to a physician virtually was incredible and I am so proud and happy that we are expanding that opportunity for more people in our province.

We are making significant investments in the patients-first health care plan to ensure everyone has access to the right care in the place at the right time. And as a heavy user of the health care system, I am just so grateful for the health care system that we have today. It’s not perfect, but it is really very, very good.

And I’m also proud to be a part of this government that is literally transforming health care and pivoting to meet the changing and growing demands of our province. And with that, I will be supporting the motion put forth by our Minister of Health and not supporting the amendment. Thank you.

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