Sask. government hopes physician assistants will help take pressure off health care system
Legislation to license physician assistants has been introduced by the Government of Saskatchewan.
The primary role of physician assistants is to ease the burden of doctors. Saskatchewan has experienced struggles with their health care system, with several groups and politicians calling for more to be done.
The Medical Profession Amendment Act, 2023 was introduced on Thursday in the legislature and will regulate physician assistants under the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Saskatchewan, according to a news release from the province.
"Licensing and integrating Physician Assistants into our health care teams will help meet the health care needs of Saskatchewan people," health minister Paul Merriman said in the release.
The legislation supports $1.3 million in spending from the provincial budget to create 12 physician assistant positions across the health care system for the first time, according to the release.
Expected benefits to patients include reduced wait times, improved discharge rates, and decrease in length of hospital stays, as physician assistants are meant to reduce physician workload, the province said.
Before the legislation was introduced, the Ministry of Health consulted with the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Saskatchewan, the Saskatchewan Medical Association, and the Canadian Association of Physician Assistants.
Speaking to reporters on Thursday, NDP MLA Vicki Mowat said this is what physicians have been calling for, is to create a system of team-based care where people can work to the maximum of their scope.
“That could include physician assistants, in can also include nurse practitioners, it can include all members of the health care team,” she said.
Mowat said what is yet to be seen is how the legislation is going to be operationalized
“Who are these folks that are physician assistants? Where are they coming from? Because we don’t train physician assistants in this province. What does the licensing look like?” she asked.
The legislation will come into force upon proclamation, according to the province.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
BREAKING NDP motion regarding Palestinian statehood passes after major Liberal alterations
A motion from the federal New Democrats initially calling on Canada to recognize the 'State of Palestine' passed amid widespread acrimony on Monday, after the Liberals drastically altered its wording to see the government simply work towards that aim as part of a two-state solution.
'He didn't want to die': Family of Calgary man killed in standoff speaks out
Family of a Calgary man killed after a 30-hour standoff with police last week are speaking out, sharing details of the tense and heart-wrenching experience.
Toronto family doctor who called patient's body 'perfect' suspended for 3 months: tribunal
A family doctor in Toronto has been suspended for three months after a disciplinary tribunal found that he failed to follow proper protocols while examining a patient's breasts and made inappropriate comments about her body.
Ohio mom who left toddler alone 10 days when she went on vacation pleads guilty to aggravated murder
An Ohio mother whose 16-month-old daughter died after being left home alone in a playpen for 10 days last summer while she went on vacation was sentenced Monday to life in prison with no chance of parole.
Retired teacher pleads guilty to paying for sex with 15-year-old in Collingwood, Ont.
In a Barrie courtroom on Monday, a retired high school teacher from the Niagara Region pleaded guilty to sexual touching and obtaining sexual services from a 15-year-old boy in Collingwood in 2021.
Hertz CEO out following electric car 'horror show'
The company, which announced in January it was selling 20,000 of the electric vehicles in its fleet, or about a third of the EVs it owned, is now replacing the CEO who helped build up that fleet, giving it the company’s fifth boss in just four years.
5 charged in Calgary kidnappings that targeted women
Calgary police have charged five men in a pair of kidnappings last year that targeted innocent victims.
Demand soars for solar eclipse glasses in Canada. Are they worth buying?
The demand for total solar eclipse glasses used to safely view the rare celestial event has been ramping up as sellers, along with astronomy and eye-care experts in Canada, warn that viewing the eclipse with the naked eye is dangerous.
Canadian commander of volunteer fighter group dies in Ukraine
A Canadian-born commander of the so-called Norman Brigade, a volunteer fighting group in Ukraine, has died.