PC government's 'hands tied' by long clinic leases

Decades-long leases on health clinics and the Birth Centre have tied the Progressive Conservative government's hands, according to Manitoba's health minister.

15 leases for Access Centres, QuickCare clinics and the Birth Centre add up to more than $150 million in long-term contracts.Some of the leases were signed in the run-up to the last provincial election and all the deals were made by the previous NDP government.

At the time, the NDP government said it wouldrely heavily on QuickCare clinics, staffed by nurse practitioners, to freeup doctors from someminor treatments.

Health Minister Kelvin Goertzen says the long leases five have terms of 25 years take flexibility out of the system as the new government looks to cut costs and improve services.

"These are unusual leases within the healthcare system. If you look historically over time, this length of time would be unusual, where you are looking at a QuickCare clinic where you are not entirely sure if it's going to reduce the wait times," Goertzen said.

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Goertzensays the previousNDP government acknowledged theQuickCareclinics were established almost as an experiment in an attempt to lower wait times at emergency rooms.

The health minister says some patients may find the QuickCare clinics helpful, but as an "experiment"in trying to reduce wait times, the long leases don't make sense and aren't standard for Manitoba Health.

"When you lock yourself into 30 years it is exceptional within the healthcare system generally to have that kind of a lease, but it is also unusual to lock yourself in that long in almost anything in healthcare, because things change so quickly in healthcare," Goertzen told CBC News.

The Birth Centre on St. Mary's Roadwas built to accommodate pregnant women that wanted to use midwives for the delivery of their children. But the facility has been criticized for being underused.

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Goertzen says he's instructed KPMG consultantsto look at the leases and see if there is a way to change the termsor adapt the way the facilities areused. KPMG is in the midst of a broad review of Manitoba Health looking for efficiencies.

Changing the hours of operation for QuickCare clinics could be a potential fix, Goertzen said.Currently they are open from noon to 7:30 p.m. on weekdays.

In a statement, the NDP defended the leases.

"Long-term planning and investments in health-care facilities is standard. The Conservatives should stop politicizing all aspects of the health-care system and make real investments in a public health-care system that serves all Manitoba families."