Range Lake MLA supports single N.W.T. health superboard

An MLA says the territorial government's proposal to streamline health care will ensure that fewer patients will be neglected or overlooked.

The Department of Health and Social Services is proposing a health superboard to replace the eight existing health authorities.

He says having one centralized board will mean everyone will receive the same level of care regardless of where they live.

There's regions under the current system that are not receiving the same level of care, says the MLA for Range Lake Daryl Dolynny.

Areas that need more nursing, areas that need more front line services. This change in design should start to accommodate and start checking off those requests that people have been asking for for a long time.

Last year, the territorial government shut down the Deh Cho Health Authority and put in a public administrator.

The Department said that health authority had trouble finding staff and people in the communities raised issues with the quality of care they were getting.

An administrator appointed by the territorial government now oversees four of the health authorities.

Dolynny says the new system will allow regions to share staff and health records more easily.

Were duplicating service...

Health Minister Glen Abernethy says streamlining the territory's health care system will save money.

We had a Deloitte report that looked at some of the non-clinical functions of the health and social service system and it identified 62 areas where were duplicating service and not having an ability to control costs as a result.

The department says having one authority means fewer bureaucratic barriers.

It says it would be easier for regions to share health records and staff.

The proposed plan doesn't say whether any jobs will be lost.