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This article was published 14/7/2017 (1163 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

The Winnipeg Regional Health Authority will monitor the impact of ending outpatient hospital physiotherapy services for hip and knee replacement patients, Premier Brian Pallister says.

The WRHA announced this week that as of mid-October most hospital outpatient physiotherapy and occupational therapy services — now offered for free — will be discontinued as part of ongoing efforts to trim costs.

The move has sparked concern knee patients, for example, might not receive the post-operative treatment they need, leading to potentially further costly hospital procedures.

At a news conference Friday, Pallister said he, too, is concerned about the potential long-term implications of the change for joint replacement patients.

"We are going to make sure the WRHA… monitors that situation because what I don’t want to do is create a situation where we look like we’re saving money short-term and we’re costing more long-term," he said.

Questioned by reporters, Pallister admitted that some of the recently announced cost-savings measures will affect frontline health care services and lead to staff reductions. The Progressive Conservatives promised not to roll back frontline services and to protect frontline staff during the 2016 election campaign.

Physiotherapy will still be available at private clinics once the change is implemented, but patients without private insurance will have to pay for services that were once covered by government. An unknown number of physiotherapists and occupational therapists will be laid off.

"Some of these changes are going to have an impact, and obviously I’m sympathetic. I care very much about the people who provide our services, and I want to make sure that they’re confident in doing so. These are not easy changes," the premier said.

The PCs have argued that reforms are necessary to make the health-care system sustainable — especially with Ottawa reducing the increase in annual transfer payments.

"I know change is hard. I am very sympathetic to the people who work in our system, but our goal is to get better health care to people. And our goal is going to be achieved by facing that challenge, not running away from it as the previous (NDP) government did," he said.

Asked if more cuts to the system were on the horizon, the premier would only say: "I would suggest that there are a number of changes that have to be made, a number of changes have been recommended (in a pair of government-commissioned studies, one of which the PCs have refused to release)."

Pallister suggested Friday other provinces have made similar cuts to hospital outpatient services, but a local physiotherapist disputes that.

Tory Crawford said most jurisdictions maintain some form of hospital outpatient service paid for by government.

For example, physiotherapy is covered under the Ontario Health Insurance Plan for seniors and those 19 years and under, and for patients of any age who have had an overnight stay in hospital for a condition requiring physiotherapy.

"There is public funding for physiotherapy in different service models across Canada. No one has completely done away with public funding for physiotherapy in the same way that the WRHA is doing to Manitoba — that I’m aware of," said Crawford, who undertook a review of provincial programs in light of the cuts here.

Meanwhile, the premier said talks continue between his government and Ottawa on a health funding accord that all provinces and territories have signed except for Manitoba.

"We continue to have dialogue with the federal government. We’ll continue to work towards a solution," he said Friday.

Manitoba’s failure to sign a deal puts in jeopardy approximately $400 million in mental health and home care funding over the next 10 years.

Manitoba has given several reasons for balking at signing the deal. Pallister has strenuously objected to the fact that Ottawa arbitrarily decided that provinces will have to live with three per cent increases in annual health transfers rather than the former six per cent hikes.

He said the new mental-health and home-care money amounts to pennies on the dollar compared with what the feds are actually taking away from the provinces.

"This is dangerous and not sustainable for health care," he said.

larry.kusch@freepress.mb.ca