A mental health program in Calgary is shutting down, but the provincial health authority says the move will not force patients to wait longer for care.
The outpatient program, which provides 12 weeks of counselling at Rockyview General Hospital, will end later this month, according to Alberta Health Services.
An ongoing review of programs at AHS found this mental health service would be more efficiently offered in other clinics, said Dr. Bev Adams, the Calgary zone’s clinical department head for psychiatry.
It means 60 patients who receive care from the program and 16 who are on a waiting list will be sent to other programs, Adams said.
According to AHS, wait times are not expected to increase as a result of the move.
Three staff will be laid off, but they will be offered other positions within AHS, Adams said.
“Because of the need for mental health services and our burgeoning population in Calgary, we’ve had to look at our program efficiencies, so what you’re seeing is a result of that,” Adams said.
“But what everyone thinks is, oh, this is a cut, but it’s not, really; it’s looking at efficiencies in how we deliver care in a more meaningful way for patients.”
Rockyview General will retain a mental health program that receives referrals from family doctors and provides urgent therapy.