'It's all needed': Saskatchewan will not 'walk away' from federal health-care funding: Premier

It's well short of what Canada's premiers had been asking, but Saskatchewan Premier Scott Moe says he won't turn down what amounts to a two per cent increase in federal health-care funding because "it is all needed."

Moe met with reporters in Regina on Monday morning before a planned virtual meeting with his fellow premiers to discuss last week's federal health-care spending plan for the provinces and territories.

"It is a two per cent lift and I don't think anybody — at least Saskatchewan — is considering walking away from any increase in health-care space. It is all needed."

On Monday afternoon, Manitoba Premier Heather Stefanson — the current head of the Council of the Federation, the group that represents Canada's premiers — told CBC News Network's Power & Politics that the premiers were "united" in their decision to accept Ottawa's proposal.

However, Stefanson cautioned that the cash injection is not a long-term fix.

Moe said Monday the provincial and federal government have shared priorities, and said the money would be used in part to shorten surgical wait times and to open up access to ensure people have a primary health-care provider.

Saskatchewan will use federal health money to "accelerate" and "expand" initiatives it has already in motion including reducing surgical wait times and hiring more health-care workers, Moe said.

He said he hoped new money would be available in time for the upcoming 2023-24 provincial budget.

Premiers had asked Ottawa to increase the Canada Health Transfer to 35 per cent from 22 per cent, or an additional $28 billion per year.

The new funding arrangement announced last week will bring the total federal portion of health-care transfers to the provinces and territories to $54 billion in 2023-24.

Saskatchewan would see nearly $6.2 billion of the pledged $196 billion from the federal government over a 10-year period.

Roughly $5.9 billion would be through the federal transfer, with the remainder coming through bilateral agreements in mental health and substance abuse, home care and long-term care.

Opposition calls for restoration of health networks

On Monday, Opposition NDP health critics Vicki Mowat and Matt Love called for the provincial government to bring back Community Health Advisory Networks.

The networks existed until the amalgamation of the 13 health regions into the Saskatchewan Health Authority in 2017.

Mowat says facilities are short of health-care workers, and many people do not have access to primary care.

"It's clear health region amalgamation and the centralizing of health-care decisions has failed to deliver reliable, high-quality care for people who need it. Local people and community leaders know what their communities need – it's time to bring those voices back to the table," Mowat said.

The opposition pointed to a 2020 resolution by the Saskatchewan Urban Municipalities Association that called for the minister of health "to ensure direct municipal input and involvement in the health system by requiring Community Health Advisory Networks to be established throughout the province."

Mowat and Love have been touring the province in recent days to discuss health care. On Monday they spoke to reporters outside an urgent care clinic in Warman.

Mowat said local leaders feel "shut out" in decision-making on health-care issues.