News Release

EXTREME WAIT TIMES AT RED DEER EMERGENCY ROOM UNDER UCP

RED DEER – Central Albertans have faced extreme wait times to see a doctor at the Red Deer Regional Hospital this week, thanks to the UCP’s war on healthcare.
Albertans who need emergency medical attention have been forced to wait for more than nine hours late Monday night, and more than 11 hours Sunday night.
“Danielle Smith and the UCP’s war on health care has left Red Deer families at risk,” said Jaelene Tweedle, Alberta NDP candidate for Red Deer-North. “They’ve failed to advance work on a new hospital and they’ve chased health care workers out of the current hospital.”
“Danielle Smith is lying when she claims the crisis has passed. She should come to Red Deer and see it herself. I guess John Cowell didn’t stop here during his $1,400 limo ride.”
Red Deer Regional Hospital has been plagued with severe staffing shortages under the UCP. In April of 2022, there were 14 ambulances lined up in the parking lot, unable to unload their patients into an overwhelmed emergency room. Albertans expecting to have their surgery in Red Deer have been delayed or re-routed to hospitals in other cities.
In October, Red Deer doctors wrote an open letter warning that the local surgical program could be “on the brink of collapse.”
“This is what health care in Red Deer has come to with Adriana LaGrange and Jason Stephan representing us,” said Michelle Baer, Alberta NDP candidate for Red Deer-South. “Time to vote them out.
“Today we can vote for a new government, led by Rachel Notley, focused on ending the UCP chaos in healthcare and connecting every Albertan with a family doctor.”
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