Thank you, Mr. Speaker. In reviewing the diabetes, home care and long-term care, medical travel, and human resources recruitment programs, the Auditor General examined DHSS’ support of program delivery and its monitoring of results.
A consistent theme emerged in the reviews of diabetes, home care and long-term care, and medical travel. In each, there is no mechanism for monitoring and evaluating the effectiveness and efficiency of the program. Insufficient data is collected to support evaluation of diabetes, home care and long-term care programs; a deficiency that must be corrected, as DHSS has pledged to do.
The department will not have a territory-wide strategy to prevent or manage diabetes until the completion of the Chronic Disease Management Model, which is due in 2012. Meeting this deadline should be a special priority, given the prevalence of diabetes and the impact of chronic conditions on the people of the Northwest Territories, as well as their health system.
The committee is especially concerned about the recruitment and retention of health care professionals, which is a joint responsibility of the Department of Health and Social Services, the authorities, and the Department of Human Resources. The Auditor General found that the Department of Health and Social Services has identified its human resource needs. However, vacancy rates are significant, and many experienced staff are expected to retire over the next 10 years. The Auditor General noted that staff shortages represent a serious risk to ensuring consistent and equitable access to quality health services across the NWT.
This risk is compounded by the uncertain success of the current joint recruitment system. The Auditor General advised that the lack of a comprehensive human resource recruitment plan, and the lack of a service level agreement between Human Resources, the Department of Health and Social Services, and the authorities, must be addressed. The committee strongly agrees. While the two departments agreed with the Auditor General’s recommendations to remedy the situation, there must also be firm commitments with respect to timing.
Recommendation 3
The Standing Committee on Government Operations recommends that the Department of Health and Social Services, health authorities, and the Department of Human Resources develop a comprehensive system-wide recruitment and retention plan for health professionals, for implementation in 2012-13,
and monitor progress against the plan on an ongoing basis.
Recommendation 4
The Standing Committee on Government Operations recommends that the Department of Health and Social Services, health authorities, and the Department of Human Resources develop a service level agreement for recruitment and retention of health professionals that sets out roles, responsibilities, timelines, and services to be delivered. This agreement should be in place and functional by April 1, 2012.
Mr. Speaker, somebody else wants to talk. I turn it over now to the honourable Member Mr. Abernethy.