Health Minister Don McMorris recently released Saskatchewan's Health Human Resources Plan, which is a guide that will inform health workforce strategies and policies of the province, health regions, educational institutes and other stakeholders over the next 10 years.
"The plan outlines our government's vision for a health workforce that takes progressive, collaborative approaches to patient care and provides a long-term assessment of the province's health care human resources needs," McMorris said. "Training, recruiting and retaining health care workers continues to be a top priority of this government."
The province has had discussions and consulted with its partners in the health system, including health regions, the Saskatchewan Cancer Agency, numerous health organizations, as well as educational institutes, unions, and First Nations and Métis representatives.
As a result, the plan focuses on four key goals for the health workforce: patient- and family-centred care providers, collaborative, inter-professional practices; positive, productive and safe workplaces; and a sufficient number and mix of health care professionals.
As a forecasting tool, the plan will help organizations to develop ways of delivering service that meet the health needs of the population with an adequate supply and mix of care providers.
The plan does not project a significant change in the mix of providers over the next 10 years. However, as the system evolves to use all health care providers more appropriately, the number and mix of providers will also evolve.
In addition, as the health workforce centres it efforts around patients and their families, there will be implications for how medical and health care students are educated and trained and for how services are planned, structured and delivered. For example, there may be an increased need for nurse practitioners due to their expanding role in the health system.
This plan flows from the Patient First Review in 2009 and fulfills an election commitment.
An executive summary of the plan is attached. A full copy of the plan and appendices are available at www.health.gov.sk.ca/hhr-plan.
