HQCA supports recommended new Alberta Health Act

The Health Quality Council of Alberta (HQCA) supports recommendations stemming from the report issued today by the Minister's Advisory Committee on Health. The report, entitled A Foundation for Alberta's Health System, recommends a new Alberta Health Act built around core principles and calls for a patient charter and strong support for evidence-based decision making.

Dr. John Cowell, chief executive officer of the HQCA and a member of the Minister's Advisory Committee on Health, says it was gratifying to be part of developing the recommendations, which he believes have the power to establish a new foundation for legislative reform regarding health care in Alberta.

HQCA Chair Dr. Lorne Tyrrell says the Council strongly supports the Committee's recommendations. "While not a quick fix for the province's health system, they are an essential first step towards creating an efficient and effective system that puts patients at the heart of it."

The HQCA has a mandate to promote and improve patient safety and health service quality across the province. Tyrrell says he is pleased to see a commitment to quality and safety highlighted as one of the six recommended principles to help guide Alberta's health system.

"We are also pleased to see the report supports independent, objective monitoring and measuring of Alberta's health care system performance," adds Cowell. "Without this critical component, it will be impossible to see where the system is improving and where it needs work."

The report of the Minister's Advisory Committee on Health is available at www.ministersadvisorycommitteeonhealth.ca