Standard Operating Procedures (SOP)

Hot Potato Tossing
Rob Bernshaw

Rob Bernshaw, Columnist

In a recent column ‘Is this a Hot Potato’, there was a concern by this writer that for constituents writing letters whether by email or snail mail a response is nice to receive. At the time of that column a response had not been received by this writer to a letter Dated July 24, 2012 and sent via Canada Post to our current Premier Alison Redford. In all fairness a response has now been received from this current government via Canada Post on Friday November 2, 2012 and is included with this column for
all to see.

In any company or organization there are Standard Operating Procedures (SOP) which sets out rules and guidelines for safe efficient operation of the business or equipment being operated. These SOP’s are to protect individuals and the businesses implementing them safe from possible harm or repercussions by not following the SOP.

It seems with the Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) of the canned non-answer responses of this current government the letter received by this writer fits the bill to a ‘T’.

As part of the important transportation infrastructure of Alberta which is made up of the highways and
 byways around Alberta that ground ambulances use to transport patients to area hospitals the Alberta Air Ambulance Services use the vital transportation infrastructure of Alberta Airports such as the Edmonton City Centre Airport to get rural Albertans timely access to state of the art Tertiary Care Health facilities in Edmonton Alberta. When timely access to these state of the art facilities for the Health needs of rural Albertans is affected it now becomes a provincial issue not at the municipal level as the current Alberta Health Minister indicates. The municipal level does not look after the health needs of Albertans as Minister of Health Fred Horne seems to be indicating when he said in the letter this writer received from this current Minister:

“I recognize your concerns; however, the closure of the ECCA is within the legislated authority of Edmonton City Council, and neither I nor the Premier have the authority to intervene in this local matter.”

Last time this writer looked it was the Alberta Health Services that takes care of this writers health needs not the City of Edmonton or any municipality for that matter. Where does this government get away with indicating that our Health needs are a municipal or local matter? Vital Transportation infrastructure whether roads or airports are a part of the access to timely health care and therefore part of the provincial mandate and need to be addressed accordingly not sloughed off as this government seems to be doing every chance they get.

As in question period in the Alberta Legislature and even in public this current Premier seems to be avoiding or tossing the Hot Potato issues into the hands of subordinates or saying that it is not appropriate to comment for whatever reason (excuse) given.

Let us delve deeper into this Hot Potato issue to endeavor to gain some understanding into the concept of tossing a Hot Potato away as soon as it is received. In a recent home experiment this writer performed in order to get to the bottom of this phenomenon of why people do not like to hold Hot Potatoes for very long. They are quite happy to toss them from hand to hand or to someone else such as a subordinate or other person to take the heat off themselves and avoid a nasty burn in the process.

Images of high temperature of real life Hot Potatoes recently released from the hot oven into public view. Internal temperature registered at 92 degrees Celsius, 197.6 degrees Fahrenheit and if there was a Kelvin reading it would be 365.15 Kelvin:

Measured Temperature of Hot Potatoes Thur Nov 29, 2012 Edmonton
by R. Bernshaw 

Apologies for poor temperature scale clarity.

When constituents take the time to write with questions dependent on answers from their current premier and then are deliberately shuffled off to a subordinate like a hot potato is quickly tossed aside to save being burnt what does that say about how this current Premier truly views her constituents?

Are we pawns on her political chessboard?

A means to her end?

Possibly in more ways than one. If Premier Alison Redford were willing to sit down with this writer and directly answer the questions put to her than maybe this columnist would possibly have a different opinion of her on the issues being tossed about like so many hot potatoes. Here are the questions that this writer feels strongly were tossed aside as a hot potato in the hands of someone afraid of getting burnt and therefore not having scars from holding onto the hot potato for too long.

Questions from original letter by this writer dated July 24, 2012:

1. Why have you and your government turned your back on and closed the ‘front door’ to rural northern Alberta and many First Nations peoples?(this sentence edited for punctuation by this writer) 
2. Are you and your government being discriminatory towards First Nations peoples and their timely access to the same quality, state of the art facilities that I have access to, out my ‘front door’, here in Edmonton? 
3. Why have you and your government ignored the Health Quality Council Report of May 5, 2011 and the recommendations made regarding fixed wing medevac services and the Edmonton City
   Centre Airport? 

A challenge was also issued regarding a public inquiry but was ignored in the response received by this writer.

Here is the challenged issued:

I issue you and your government a challenge; to continue providing, the timely access to rural northern Alberta communities and First Nations peoples, by demanding a Public inquiry into the adverse effects of full closure, thereby denying access, with the timely fixed wing Alberta Air Ambulance services, flying into and out of the Edmonton City Centre Airport!

As noticed during question period in the Alberta Legislature this current premier and government seems to detest any mention of the words Public and Inquiry when used in the same sentence. Would having a full Public Inquiry into matters that determine the quality of life of rural Albertans reveal facts that would rather be ignored to protect this government of possible litigation from concerned citizens when the actual truth would be revealed by any type of Public Inquiry?

With the SOP’s in place what other response would be forthcoming from this government to a constituent other than what was received by this writer via Canada Post on Friday November 2, 2012.

Alberta Air Ambulances are Ground Ambulances with wings , as they are set up to service rural Alberta where Ground Ambulance service is not a viable option. The Minister for Health as part of his portfolio is to make sure that all Albertan’s health needs are met in a timely manner whether in the urban or rural environment.

To be fair there was mention made regarding the Health Quality Council of Alberta (HQCA) recommendations in the SOP response from Premier Alison Redford’s subordinate Minister of Health Fred Horne. Here is the actual wording from the letter:

“I noted your question about the status of the recommendations from a report on medevac services at the ECCA. As you are aware, the Health Quality Council of Alberta has conducted a detailed review of this matter and made a number of recommendations to address patient safety concerns when medevac services are moved to the Edmonton International Airport (EIA). The report had 18 recommendations, some of which are now in place. The remaining recommendations will be addressed prior to the transfer of medevac services to the EIA. “ 

The above response indicates that some of the 18 recommendations are in place but neglected to mention which ones. Why is that?

This writer has endeavored to find out which of the 18 recommendations are now in place but has been unable to ascertain which ones.

If this government were open and transparent in their dealings with Albertans than the current Alberta Health Minister should have stated clearly the numbered recommendation(s) out of the 18 HQCA recommendations that would make up “some of which are now in place.” as stated by our current Alberta Health Minister Fred Horne.

These 18 HQCA recommendations are very important to the continued health needs for rural Albertans and until they have all been met than this government needs to step up to the plate and curtail any further expropriation proceedings from the local municipality and current mayor of Edmonton against tenants of and long term lease holders at the Edmonton City Centre Airport.

This needs to be done ASAP in order for commons sense to prevail over political expediency in order for the continued health needs of all Albertans to be taken care of. Whether it is timely delivery of premature babies and transplant organs or looking after the health needs and timely access to state of the art health facilities for all Albertans.  From Alberta’s First Nations Peoples to every Albertan that needs the services of Air Ambulance or Ground Ambulance transportation service and deserve the continued timely health care access wherever they may live in Alberta. The Edmonton City Centre Airport is part of the vital health transportation link across the province of Alberta and needs to be maintained in order for all Albertans to benefit.

The 18 HQCA recommendations are attached below along with the letter received from this government on Friday Nov 2, 2012.

Related links:

Is this a hot potato?

NEWS RELEASE - Health Quality Council of Alberta

Related letters:

Editor's note: The opinions expressed by columnists and letter writers are theirs and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the Pincher Creek Voice.