Alberta's Private Surgery Plan Risks Longer Public Wait Times, Union Says

The Alberta government's plan to allow private, for-profit surgeries in public hospitals will not reduce wait times and will instead create a two-tier system that benefits the wealthy, the province's largest public-sector union said.

CUPE Alberta President Raj Uppal said the regulations accompanying Bill 11, which the government announced this week, provide inadequate safeguards to protect the public system. Doctors will not be required to work a minimum number of hours in the public system while also practicing privately, he noted. They will also be able to tell patients their estimated wait time in the public system, effectively offering a paid alternative.

"That's just not right," Uppal said in a statement.

The union's criticism follows a legal opinion that found the legislation breaches the Canada Health Act, which prohibits extra billing and user fees for insured services. The government has pushed ahead regardless, arguing the changes will increase surgical capacity.

Alberta already misses wait-time benchmarks for a significant number of medically necessary surgeries, Uppal said. Allowing private procedures in public hospitals will reduce capacity for the public system, he argued, because the same operating rooms and staff will be used for both streams.

"There is no evidence this decision will increase capacity or shorten wait times," Uppal said. "This simply allows rich Albertans to jump the queue while the rest of us are left struggling without the care we need."

He called on Premier Danielle Smith to reverse the decision, repeal Bill 11, and instead fund the staff and resources needed to reopen currently closed operating rooms.

The changes are scheduled to take effect this fall.