WHEREAS medical and non-medical travel escorts provide a crucial service to the NWT health care system by taking care of patients who require assistance when they travel for treatment;

AND WHEREAS medical and non-medical travel escorts are predominantly volunteers from communities who must leave behind their families and employment during their absence, often for extended periods of time;

AND WHEREAS extended absences by medical and non-medical travel escorts often tax personal and family resources and create hardships;

AND WHEREAS it is now difficult to find proper travel escorts in some communities for extended stays, to the detriment of patient safety;

AND WHEREAS the Department of Health and Social Services’ review of the Medical Travel Policy has been in progress for some time and has not yet produced results in this area;

NOW THEREFORE I MOVE, seconded by the honourable Member for Mackenzie Delta, that this Legislative Assembly strongly recommends that the Department of Health and Social Services devise a system of compensating medical and non-medical travel escorts for their time, with the goal of implementing the system in fiscal year 2015-2016;

AND FURTHER, that the government provide a comprehensive response to this motion within 120 days. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.