Lesa Semmler

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, we encourage all residents in the Northwest Territories to call 8-1-1 for non-emergent questions on their health or their family's health, and we encourage all Northwest Territories residents to call 9-1-1 first before calling, you know, the health centre. Health centres are generally used when -- and that was -- but the thing is, is the change. The change management in small communities is this has been the model for so long and that's where they're so used to calling that they don't call 8-1-1 and they don't call 9-1-1; they call the health centre. And so...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I don't have the exact details of the overall wait times or anything. But what I do know is that the amount of staff that's allocated through our budgeting process is full, and they have been increasing the amount -- like, the amounts of referrals for blood work have been increasing and therefore there is work to be looking on -- you know, I mean, through our business process on this area as a prioritized area for access to care. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. And thank you to the Member for this question. You know, I know that right now Fort Good Hope, the physician model is currently being under evaluation now. The pilot has been ongoing. And when I was into the community and I even met with the physician that was the lead on that, they are hopefully to have the review completed by April 2026, and that work is actually going to be helping us to form, you know, when we do our -- with our model of care for small communities. As I said, improving the model of care in our small communities is and always the priority. And so as...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. That would be part of this work. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I will bring this back. And I know that we do have -- we do track the stats, and we do know what we send out. We do actually know what it costs us to send this out. So what I can do is I can get that information, and I can share it with the Member. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, you know, as this is brought up in the House, I will bring this back to NTHSSA and follow up as to how things are going in the lab and the walk-in clinic there, and if there's improvements that -- what recommendations that -- you know, what do they -- you know, to be able to carry out some of these things. However, at this time, there's not many things that I can say on the floor of this House, that I'd have to go back to NTHSSA as that falls under their authority. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. And, Mr. Speaker, you know, I think there was some timing from NTHSSA and myself. I stood in this House and did a statement on systemic -- with cultural and safety and anti-racism in this House, and then within the day, they were releasing this report right at the end of our session. So we weren't able to kind of combine the two. However, now we are first day back, and I followed up with the NTHSSA and they have drafted the implementation plan. They've created that, and this plan is being reviewed by their executive. And once that is done, I can share an update with the...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, while private clinics in Yellowknife may use online booking, the implementing a similar system in the public care system is significantly more complex. The public system is subject to stricter regulations, including procurement rules, enhanced privacy, security requirements that do not apply to private clinics. In addition to that, the booking system must be able to coordinate appointments across multiple provider types, such as physicians, nurse practitioners, specialists, integrate with large complex health information system in contrast with private...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, as this has been an ongoing discussion, I have been in contact with -- especially here in Yellowknife as an ongoing basis as to how improvements are being put into place and what can be put into place. I know that we have -- you know, people can call in. To improve appointment accessibility, several other measures have been used. These include same-day access to provide appointments. There's online call-back system to streamline booking requests. And from my understanding, people who can -- they are getting callbacks right away in a timely manner. An active...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the solution is that the demand is higher, so we are working through the business process that would look at the right amount of staff for the right amount of tests that we have to decrease the amount of tests that we have to send out. We need more lab technicians. We need more lab, you know, assistants. We need different hours. So what has happened -- and just to be more clear -- is the service providing downtown clinic is the same staffing that has always been the allocation for the Stanton lab. So now they're just kind of spread out in two different...