Alberta government to spend $25 million to upgrade EMS vehicles fleet

The Alberta government will be spending $25 million towards an initial amount of $35 million over three years to the EMS Vehicles Capital Program as part of Budget 2024 to try to reduce emergency response wait times. This funding will support the replacement of EMS vehicles that have reached the end of their life cycles and ensure in-service ones are maintained, updated and provided with additional equipment to meet the needs of urban and rural Albertans.“Albertans requiring transport to emergency rooms or other health facilities need to receive timely, safe and appropriate care,” said Alberta Health Minister Adriana LaGrange in a Thursday press release. “Funding for fleet improvements not only enhances system capacity, stability and response times, but also provides our dedicated EMS practitioners with the vehicles and equipment they need to continue delivering exceptional care.”Alberta Health Services (AHS) EMS Provincial Programs Executive Director Marty Scott said the demands of maintaining an effective EMS fleet have shot up since the COVID-19 pandemic began. “We greatly appreciate the support of the Alberta government that assists AHS in keeping our ambulances and equipment ready to provide the best care for Albertans across the province,” said Scott. The Alberta government said it is committed to finding ways to reduce response times to ensure Albertans are getting timely emergency care when they need it most. It said two new contracts with partners to provide scheduled, low-acuity interfacility transfer services will enable AHS to focus on emergency responses and reduce wait times by keeping ambulances in their communities.Interfacility transfers are patient transports between hospitals or between them and other settings providing specialty care or services. There are about 174,000 of these non-urgent transfers per year, with about 24,000 in Edmonton and about 20,000 in Calgary identified as being appropriate for contract service partners. It said working with Guardian Ambulance in Calgary and Associated Ambulance and Services in Edmonton will add resources to the EMS system to help AHS free up ambulances and paramedics to focus on emergency medical responses in them. Additionally, it confirmed work is underway to expand interfacility transfers to other parts of Alberta. The Alberta government allocated $2 million in Budget 2024 for an independent review of the provincial air ambulance program and a paramedic workforce study to inform what improvements will need to be made in the future. The review encompasses a thorough examination of various aspects, including response times, operational efficiency and co-ordination with ground EMS services, with active involvement from emergency services staff. In the paramedic workforce study, feedback from paramedics and emergency communications officers will be crucial in understanding the challenges faced, opportunities for improvement and recommendations for enhancements. Their input will be integrated into the study's findings and recommendations to ensure a comprehensive understanding of the current state of the EMS workforce.The workforce study aims to identify opportunities for growing Alberta’s paramedic workforce, recommending improvements in recruitment, work environment, retention and training. It will include a paramedic survey, examining mental health supports and access, retention activities, workforce mobility within and outside the province, demand forecasting, and educational capacity and processes. Alberta rural health parliamentary secretary Martin Long said these initiatives “can ultimately enhance healthcare accessibility across the province.”“Timely access to emergency medical care can save lives and improve health outcomes, particularly in situations where rapid intervention is critical,” said Long. “Overall, these studies will positively affect the health and well-being of Albertans in remote, rural and urban communities by strengthening Emergency Medical Services and ensuring timely access to lifesaving care for all.”Alberta NDP MLA Luanne Metz (Calgary-Varsity) responded to the announcement by saying the United Conservative Party “is gambling on another privatization scheme with EMS.”“Instead of bolstering our existing interfacility transfer system by focusing on retaining and hiring new paramedics, Danielle Smith and the UCP are choosing to contract out those services to a private company, which has the potential to rob the public system of scarce human resources,” said Metz. “We already know these private companies offer inferior jobs with fewer benefits and lower pay, so turnover is high.”.Metz said outcomes in private delivery will no longer be easily monitored. This means people will not know how many public dollars are going towards private profits and will lose public protections. The Alberta government said in 2023 its plan to lower wait times for EMS appears to be working.READ MORE: Alberta cities see reductions in EMS response times, surgery wait times dropIt released a 90-day report and claimed Albertans are spending less time waiting for the medical care they need since the Health Care Action Plan (HCAP) was launched.When HCAP was launched in 2022, it identified four different areas on which it would work with AHS to improve.

Alberta government to spend $25 million to upgrade EMS vehicles fleet

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