Alberta Health Services has indicated its intention to speed up care for patients who may have been impacted by delayed referrals to community healthcare providers.
According to the health authority, an internal audit completed in September revealed that some patient referrals to external healthcare providers in the Central Zone were not properly processed, resulting in some delays in care.
Additional investigation revealed that the issue was not limited to the Central Zone, and could be affecting patients in all five AHS zones, including Grande Prairie in the North Zone.
In a release, AHS apologized for any delays and insisted work was being done to urgently assess every delayed referral. Officials say every patient affected by the delays will be contacted directly and provided with the opportunity to address any questions and concerns they may have.
The exact number of just how many patients have been affected is yet to be determined; however, officials are suggesting the number of affected patients is a “small number” of the total referrals being assessed.
