Editorial new 3-6
Alleged physician intimidation needs full inquiry
The Redford government's decision not to make the investigation of alleged physician intimidation a major part an upcoming health system inquiry may end up causing the Tories no end of trouble in the months ahead.
The inquiry has been launched following the release of a damning report from the Health Quality Council of Alberta. The council looked at the province's overall health system and identified a number of problem areas.
One of those areas involves allegations that physicians have been bullied when it comes to advocating for their patients in terms of services available and services needed.
鈥淧hysicians advocating for patients have felt intimidated, placated, muzzled, censored and ignored,鈥� the council said in its report. 鈥淭hey feel disconnected and alienated from the system.
鈥淭wenty per cent of physicians who had advocated (for patients) experienced 鈥榓ctive, harmful obstruction' for advocating, and a total of thirty-seven per cent reported some sort of negative outcome, ranging from feeling ignored to experiencing censorship or persecution.鈥�
In response to the council's report, Alberta Medical Association president Dr. Linda Slocombe called the findings of doctor intimidation 鈥渧ery disturbing.鈥�
When pressed about the scope of the inquiry and the AMA concerns, Premier Redford said the inquiry will look at whether physicians have been 鈥渋ntimidated by elected or unelected officials into letting patients queue jump.鈥�
The AMA, in turn, called that wholly unacceptable, both for physicians and for the community at large.
鈥淚 am expressing my disappointment with the narrow scope of the inquiry to be held,鈥� said Slocombe. 鈥淎 much broader inquiry is warranted, and necessary, on the issue of physician intimidations.
鈥淭he Health Quality Council of Alberta made it clear that intimidation of physicians is a serious and pervasive problem. This matters at a very fundamental level.鈥�
Premier Alison Redford has said that the public inquiry 鈥渨ill get answers that 51黑料s deserve鈥� and that 鈥渨e will take action on the findings and we will emerge with a stronger health-care system that 51黑料s can trust and have confidence in.鈥�
Yet unless the Redford government does an abrupt about-face by expanding the health inquiry to include all manner of physician intimidation, and who is behind it, can 51黑料s really be expected to 鈥渢rust and have confidence in鈥� the Tories and their promises?
If doctors are being bullied into keeping quiet about the needs of their patients, then 51黑料s need to know who is behind it and what will be done to stop it.
And don't be surprised to see opposition parties hammering Tory candidates during the upcoming provincial election over the issue of physician intimidation.
