Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, as I've indicated, there's work underway in the community to look at the clinics, how to ease the burden on the emergency where half the population walk in without an appointment for a service because they can't get into the clinics currently as they're structured. So very clearly there's a significant segment of the population that needs service, but not necessarily by appointment, that don't require emergency services. It stands to reason, Mr. Speaker, they're looking at what's possible and the restructuring, that they'll be looking at that issue. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Miltenberger. Supplementary, Ms. Lee.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Could the Minister advise who exactly "they" are? Thank you.

Thank you, Ms. Lee. Mr. Miltenberger.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, as part of the broader work being done across the territory, a joint leadership council comprised of the chairs of all the authorities and myself, as the Minister, and the deputy minister have overseen the development of that report. We've been working with the board chairs as well as the CEOs of the authorities and senior departmental staff. In Yellowknife, the work is being coordinated between Stanton folks; the CEO, Mr. Parker; and the CEO at Yellowknife Health and Social Services, Mr. Cummings; along with the departmental people. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Miltenberger. Supplementary, Ms. Lee.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I appreciate that very thorough and direct answer. Mr. Speaker, could the Minister advise as to when we can have a report on this issue that I'm asking about, not mixing it up with everything else, the potential for a walk-in clinic from this group? When could I expect a report on that? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Ms. Lee. Mr. Miltenberger.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. As I've indicated, there's a sequence of events that have to take place. The first key piece is to have the document that I indicated was just completed, the review of the facilities and health centres across the Northwest Territories, including Stanton and the services in Yellowknife, that will be making its way in the very near future to the Cabinet table and then from there we will be moving forward to discuss this with the Social Programs committee. Included in that document is a piece that speaks to the needs as identified in Yellowknife. Out of that will flow the work tied into the $16 million renovation at Stanton and the work on the emergency and the other

recommendations included to try to address some of the clinic issues. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Miltenberger. Final supplementary, Ms. Lee.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Could I ask the Minister what exactly he means by in the near future? Are we talking about next month? Next two months? Next three months? Next two weeks? Could he be more specific, please?

Thank you, Ms. Lee. Mr. Miltenberger.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the intent is to bring the document to Cabinet within the next couple of weeks, if not sooner, and then from there I will get the feedback and direction from Cabinet. Once that's received then we will be moving to work it out. This will be accompanied by a communication plan and a consultation plan. Once that's been to Cabinet we will take it forward, based on the direction provided there. So within the next two weeks this major document will be making its way to Cabinet. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Miltenberger. Item 6, oral questions. The honourable Member for Yellowknife Centre, Mr. Hawkins.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I rise to continue questions to the Minister of Health and Social Services on the theme I brought up the other day, which is with regard to the shortage of patient visits per day being lost here in Yellowknife. Mr. Speaker, there was a press release on August 8, 2000, by this government that said that we have a new plan to address the severe doctor shortages in this city. There are also quotes here that say, "I believe we will now be in a better position to compete nationally." In other words, bring more doctors here by stabilizing their pay. Mr. Speaker, it also points out that this initiative will stabilize this, as well as it also finally says that this arrangement will be in the best interests of the physicians and the patients.

Mr. Speaker, I noted and had the agreement of the Minister yesterday that under the old system there was potential for 40 visits per day by patients to doctors and that has been whittled down to 20 patients per day for the doctor. That's a net loss of 80 visits a day, potentially, to the consumers out there, our constituents. How does the Minister conceive that we stabilized the market with an 80-visit, patient/doctor ratio a day loss? How did that help the market and how did that help the communities? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Hawkins. The honourable Minister of Health and Social Services, Mr. Miltenberger.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, this is not a single item issue. This is a very complex one. But over the last couple of years, we've come to an agreement with the nursing association, we've come to a long-term Collective Agreement with the doctors. That's GPs and specialists. We've made significant in-roads into training northern nurses. We're coming up with a plan that's going to give us the capacity to add nurse practitioners and midwives to help offset and supplement the service provided to people right now that is currently provided by GPs.

So we have labour peace, we have some significant planning that is moving along, and we have waiting times, while they can definitely be shortened, are still better than the national average and we're working on it. We were investing significant capital money into Stanton and we're looking at improving the infrastructure in the clinics in Yellowknife as well. So across the board we continue to improve the service that's provided not only to the people in Yellowknife, but to the people in the communities. Where I might point out that many of them are lucky to see a nurse once a week. There are circumstances here, but we have to keep in mind, as well, that the needs are sometimes relative because there are communities where there are very limited services as well. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Miltenberger. Supplementary, Mr. Hawkins.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker, and thank you, Mr. Miltenberger. Before I continue my questioning, the Minister brought up nurse practitioner. It is my understanding that a nurse practitioner can only see one patient per hour. Again, under further scrutiny of a certain situation maybe the Minister could explain that a little further. Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Hawkins. Mr. Miltenberger.

Mr. Speaker, if the Member is asking me to comment on wait times, I've already done that. I didn't catch the specific question other than another reference to the need to improve access. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Miltenberger. Supplementary, Mr. Hawkins.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. That's perfectly fine. I'll ask the question again. It is my understanding that a nurse practitioner can only see one patient per hour. If the Minister could provide clarification on that, as well as if the nurse practitioner has to be under a certain amount of scrutiny, vis-...-vis by a doctor in the area or a doctor on staff. So if the Minister could explain that before we continue. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Hawkins. There are two questions there. Mr. Miltenberger.