Question Period (30 October 2006)

Question Period

From Hansard - 30 October 2006

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Wait Times for Cancer Care

Mr. McMorris: — Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, on Friday I informed this Assembly of the death of 57-year-old Emily Morley. Six months ago Emily’s family came to their legislature after Emily was told that she would have to wait up to three months for her first visit with an oncologist. Three months, Mr. Speaker — that’s three times the national average.

Emily did not want her death to be in vain. She launched a petition demanding this NDP government address the extremely long waits for cancer treatment. Her petition stated, “My life may not be saved, but you might be saving someone else’s.” Mr. Speaker, six months later, can the Minister of Health tell people of Saskatchewan how long they’ll have to wait for a first visit to an oncologist?

Hon. Mr. Taylor: — Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. I remind the member opposite and all people in Saskatchewan of the very good and strong words conveyed to the people through the Lieutenant Governor on Thursday last week in the Throne Speech, in which the province has committed its thinking and resources this session to make life better for today’s Saskatchewan families and build an even better future here for young people.

Mr. Speaker, the member opposite was in his seat, as were almost all members of the Chamber, on Thursday when the Throne Speech was read, and it was clearly indicated that, as the birthplace of medicare, Saskatchewan retains its distinction. It is the only have province in Canada that does not charge its people a health care premium and, Mr. Speaker, committed itself — as the second cornerstone of our agenda — to work with health care providers to strengthen the leadership in this province, to reduce wait times, and improve access to services.

Mr. McMorris: — Mr. Speaker, those are idle words to the Morley family who lost their mother because of a lack of oncologists in this province. In April of this year, we learned that the Saskatoon cancer agency had a shortage of two oncologists. Since then we know that one of the oncologists that was working in Saskatoon has become ill, as well as another oncologist that was working in Regina has since left the province. Mr. Speaker, that leaves this province in a dire need for oncologists. We know that the longer the wait for a first visit to an oncologist and then treatment makes a huge difference to the prognosis of people that are suffering from cancer.

Mr. Speaker, can the minister tell us today how many oncologists are practicing in the Saskatoon area?

Hon. Mr. Taylor: — Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. Every person in Saskatchewan is touched when a citizen in our province is faced with a disease like cancer. Mr. Speaker, people all across this province put in a lot of time, effort, fundraising, generosity, etc., to help find cures, provide research. And, Mr. Speaker, this government is committed to working with the Saskatchewan Cancer Agency and with the people of Saskatchewan to improve circumstances.

Mr. Speaker, just this morning as a matter of fact I met with the Saskatchewan Cancer Agency executive director. Mr. Speaker, I am happy to report that all of the positions in the Saskatoon region have now been recruited. We have a full complement of oncologists now recruited and will be reporting for duty in the Saskatoon region before the end of this year, Mr. Speaker. And secondly, the Regina Health Region has recruited for interviews two representatives and will be concluding those interviews next week.

Mr. McMorris: — Mr. Speaker, we know this NDP government continues to fail cancer patients in Saskatchewan. They are facing three times the average wait for first visit to oncologist. There’s a shortage of oncologists in this province.

Now we know this minister has a real problem with setting targets and then meeting them. In the Regina Health District, they set a target. They say how many full-time equivalents we need to supply the service. But Saskatoon hasn’t. So he says they’ve filled some vacancies.

But does that meet the demand for the Saskatoon area? What is the ideal complement which the Saskatoon Health District hasn’t set out? What’s the ideal complement for oncologists so we start seeing the three times the national average waiting list start to drop?

Hon. Mr. Taylor: — Mr. Speaker, thank you very much. The Saskatchewan Cancer Agency has responsibility to ensure that the needs of cancer patients referred to the agency are responded to and respected. Mr. Speaker, we have provided additional resources to the Saskatchewan Cancer Agency this year, as we did last year, to ensure that they have the capacity to do the work that needs to be done.

We cannot, Mr. Speaker, the opposition cannot question the goodwill, the desire, and the commitment and dedication of the members of the Saskatchewan Cancer Agency in this province, Mr. Speaker. We respect the work that they are doing.

They have concluded, Mr. Speaker, that the full complement of oncologists now to meet the needs out of the Saskatoon Health Region have now been met with their recruitment efforts. The member opposite is critical when there’s an oncologist leaving, but when we bring two back, he hasn’t got a compliment for anybody, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. McMorris: — Mr. Speaker, the Saskatchewan Cancer Agency does extremely good work being short-staffed as much as it is under this NDP government. Mr. Speaker, when people have to wait three times the national average, it’s absolutely unacceptable. And, Mr. Speaker, there have been no improvements. Cases keep coming into our office with people having to wait far too long to receive proper treatment.

Doug Bonderud, who passed away earlier this month, had to wait up to four months to have a second opinion from a different oncologist, Mr. Speaker. That’s unacceptable. Another family who doesn’t want to go public was saying that their treatments were extremely delayed when the oncologist from Regina left the province, Mr. Speaker.

Can the minister tell me about the task force that was struck to deal with the long waits for cancer treatments, what they have found, and what recommendations were put forward?

Hon. Mr. Taylor: — Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. And I’m glad the member opposite has recognized that the Saskatchewan Cancer Agency has done a tremendous amount of work in this area and in fact did establish a wait times task force with representatives from all disciplines as well as the department with the goal of improving access to all agency services. Mr. Speaker, that task force is doing some incredible work not only within the province but, Mr. Speaker, across Canada.

Just a month ago, Mr. Speaker, Saskatchewan hosted a conference of all cancer agencies from all provinces right here in the capital city of Regina. What were they talking about, Mr. Speaker? They were talking about the need to improve access to cancer care right across Canada. Who is now the leader of the cancer agencies from across Canada, Mr. Speaker? It’s the president of the Saskatchewan Cancer Agency, Mr. Speaker, who is now leading the national group on improving access and reducing wait times. Mr. Speaker, we should be very proud of the people who are working for us.

Mr. McMorris: — Thank you, Mr. Speaker. When the Saskatchewan Surgical Care Network website was launched about four years ago, under much fanfare from this government, this is what the government had to say: we are making sure that everybody has the most up-to-date and accurate information possible. Improving communications for the public, health care providers, and the regional health authorities are a critical part of ensuring appropriate access to surgical care.

Four years later, Mr. Speaker, on the Surgical Care Network, there isn’t a word about the cancer wait times in this province. For four years this government has promised that they’re going to be putting the wait times and the issues around cancer care on their Surgical Care Network. But, Mr. Speaker, they have failed to do that. Once again cancer patients are waiting in this province. When is the minister and this government going to start addressing this issue on their much touted Surgical Care Network?

Hon. Mr. Taylor: — Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. I think the member opposite listened carefully through the Throne Speech, but he didn’t quite hear the commitment that this government has made to make life better for today’s Saskatchewan families, Mr. Speaker. And support for cancer care, Mr. Speaker, is a critical component of all of this.

Mr. Speaker, the wait times initiatives that the cancer care agency . . . were very well reviewed recently by — and we welcomed the information from — the Health Quality Council, Mr. Speaker. In the recommendations, the Health Quality Council indicated that over the last year they’ve been working closely with a very receptive Saskatchewan Cancer Agency to deal with issues and challenges that we’re faced with in the system. Mr. Speaker, the recommendations that have been made by the Health Quality Council are being acted upon by the Saskatchewan Cancer Agency. Oncologists are being recruited and put to work. The wait times task force is hard at work, Mr. Speaker, and we’ve got new hires in the front end, Mr. Speaker, to . . .

The Speaker: — The member’s time has elapsed.

Mr. McMorris: — Thank you, Mr. Speaker. For seven years, I have sat and listened to this government’s throne speeches and the number of promises that have not been kept. The amount of propaganda that is spread through that Throne Speech is absolutely astonishing, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. Speaker, patients aren’t buying the fact that wait times are reducing for cancer care in this province, and neither are we. Mr. Speaker, case after case come before us, talking about the absolute devastating impact it has on people when they’re waiting for their first visit to oncologists. He hasn’t once stood in his place and said that that three-month wait — three times the national average — is reducing, Mr. Speaker. That’s absolutely appalling.

If you can’t give patients proper care in this province, if this minister cannot give patients proper care in this province because of a three-month wait for cancer treatment, will he start sending them out of province where they can get treatment?

Hon. Mr. Taylor: — Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. I’m very proud to stand on the record of this government not only in health care but cancer care, Mr. Speaker. And I’m glad I’m not on the other side where they’re running from their record, Mr. Speaker.

On the subject of cancer care, Mr. Speaker, the cancer agency is very committed to the work that it’s doing. And with new oncologists in place, with the wait times task force activity taking place, with the responses to the Health Quality Council report and, Mr. Speaker, with additional staff at the front end of the new patient registry office and the cancer care office, Mr. Speaker, we are going to provide better care for Saskatchewan residents. And, Mr. Speaker, we are reducing wait times for cancer care in the province of Saskatchewan.

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