Yes, please, Mr. Chair.
Okay, proceed.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. I'm pleased to present the 2019-2020 Main Estimates for the Department of Health and Social Services. The total proposed budget for the department is $495,934,000. Overall, the department's estimates propose an increase of $34.4 million, or about 7 percent over the 2018-2019 Main Estimates.
Highlights of the proposed estimates include:
Forced growth of $3.98 million;
Funding for initiatives totalling $7.87 million; and
Sunsets and other adjustments of $16.5 million, which includes operationalization of the new Stanton Hospital.
These estimates continue to support the priorities of the 18th Legislative Assembly. Specific support of these priorities includes:
$3.28 million to increase capacity in Child and Family Services;
$863,000 for the public awareness and education campaigns in response to cannabis legalization, and another $234,000 to monitor and act on health impacts of cannabis legalization;
$400,000 to increase support to Indigenous governments in proving land-based mobile addictions treatment;
$352,000 to improve the chemotherapy program at Stanton Territorial Hospital;
$373,000 to expand the Midwifery Program;
$972,000 increase to combine the Yellowknife day shelter and sobering centre in one location, with improved programming;
$500,000 to support family violence shelters; and
$2 million to continue with the establishment of school and community child and youth care counsellors this year in the Beaufort Delta and Sahtu regions.
Mr. Chair, that does conclude my opening comments, and I'm happy to answer any questions that committee may have.
Thank you, Minister. Would you like to bring witnesses into the Chamber?
Yes, please.
Thank you, Minister. Sergeant-at-Arms, please escort the witnesses into the Chamber. Minister, please introduce your witnesses.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. I'd like to introduce my witnesses. On my left is Bruce Cooper, who is the deputy minister of Health and Social Services, and on my right is Jeannie Mathison, who is the director of finance. Thank you.
Thank you. Committee, you have agreed to forgo general comments and proceed directly to the detail for the Department of Health and Social Services. Does committee agree?
Agreed.
Thank you. The department begins on page 161, but we will defer the departmental summary pages and review the estimates by activity summary, beginning on page 169. Health and Social Services, administrative and support services, operations expenditure summary, 2019-2020 Main Estimates, $106,958,000. Any questions from committee? Ms. Green.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. I'm looking at the line that is described as "facility maintenance and support." Could the Minister confirm that the increase in this expenditure relates to Stanton Hospital? Thank you.
Thank you, Ms. Green. Minister Abernethy.
Yes, Mr. Chair.
Thank you, Minister Abernethy. Ms. Green.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. Could the Minister please provide us with a breakdown of how that money is being disbursed over the fiscal year? Thank you.
Thank you, Ms. Green. Minister Abernethy.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. About $7.2 million plus a little bit is for amortization, and then $114,000 is incremental O and M, and about $11.5 million is for monthly service payments for Stanton Hospital. Then there are positions in there, as well. Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Thank you, Minister Abernethy. Ms. Green.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. Thank you for the detail on that. Does this line not capture the cost of moving the department out of the current Stanton Hospital into the new one? Where is that cost? Is it here? Thank you.
Thank you, Ms. Green. Minister Abernethy.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. Those funds are actually included within the capital project, as part of the total capital process. They're not part of the O and M costs.
Thank you, Minister Abernethy. Ms. Green.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. Is that also the case for the cost of moving the department out of the existing hospital while the existing hospital is retrofitted? Thank you.
Thank you, Ms. Green. Minister Abernethy.
That's my understanding, Mr. Chair.
Thank you, Minister Abernethy. Ms. Green.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. Nothing further on this page.
Thank you. Any further questions from committee? Okay, I'll read the page. Health and Social Services, administrative and support services, operations expenditure summary. Committee, in order to read the page, I'll have to ring the bells here to get a quorum.
Thank you, committee. I recognize the quorum. I will now read the page. Operations expenditure summary, 2019-2020 Main Estimates, $106,958,000. Does committee agree?
Agreed.
Thank you. That brings us to Health and Social Services, ambulatory care services, operations expenditure summary, $77,575,000. Any questions from committee? Does committee agree? Ms. Green.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. I noticed that the expenditure on out-of-territory hospitals and physicians is the same to the dollar between the two years where I would have expected that there may be some variation. Is there a reason that it's exactly the same for the two years in a row? Thank you.
Thank you, Ms. Green. Minister Abernethy.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. You'll notice, in the document in front of you, there is a column of actuals for 2017-2018. As we know, those are based on the actual numbers after recalculations and whatnot in that fiscal year. Last year, 2018-2019, or rather this current year, we had a big base adjustment that brought our mains up to the $29,278,000. We anticipate that there will still be a minor supplementary that might increase that number slightly, but this is the base amount that we have moved forward with on each year. We recognize that, given that these ultimately are based on actuals, there might be a small increase compared to previous years, where there was a much larger increase.
Thank you, Minister Abernethy. Ms. Green.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. Is this the page which would capture any additional spending on audiology, as some of my colleagues have questioned in the past? Thank you.
Thank you, Ms. Green. Minister Abernethy.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. No, that would be in diagnostic and therapeutic services, not in ambulatory care. Before we go on, though, I'd just like to point out that, throughout this budget, I think it's important to recognize that there are multiple areas within this budget where you'll see increases that are directly related to Stanton, the growth at Stanton and opening the new facility. For instance, on this page, it's under "Emergency Services." We have four new RN's in the Stanton emergency. I just want to make it clear that, although we talked about in the previous section, it will be through many sections that you'll see the standing up of Stanton in this budget. Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Thank you, Minister Abernethy. Ms. Green.
Thank you to the Minister for pointing that out. I have nothing further on this page.
Thank you, Ms. Green. Any further questions? Mr. Beaulieu.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. Out-of-territory physicians, are those locums? Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Thank you, Mr. Beaulieu. Minister Abernethy.
No, Mr. Chair. "Out-of-territory physicians" refers to services received by residents of the Northwest Territories when they're outside of the Northwest Territories. For instance, we send somebody out for medical travel. We still have to pay for those services. That would be under that. The cost of locum physicians is out of our medical budget, and we don't have an extra budget for that. We have to use it out of the existing funds. Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Thank you, Minister Abernethy. Any further questions, committee? Mr. O'Reilly.
Thanks, Mr. Chair. Is this the section where midwifery is found, or is it in the next one, under community health programs? Can someone help me? Thanks, Mr. Chair.
Thank you, Mr. O'Reilly. Minister Abernethy.
No, Mr. Chair. This isn't the appropriate section. That section would be nursing inpatient services.
Thank you, Minister Abernethy. Mr. O'Reilly.
Thanks, Mr. Chair. I will wait until we get to that part of the main estimates. Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Any further questions, committee? Seeing none, I will call the page. Ambulatory care services, 2019-2020 main estimates, $77,575,000. Does committee agree?
