Summary

This bill requires the Minister of Health to publicly post, within one hour, when an emergency room in Saskatchewan is staffed only by virtual physicians with no doctor physically present. The information must be published on a website or other electronic means whenever the Saskatchewan Health Authority approves virtual-only physician coverage for an emergency room.

Currently, there is no legal requirement for the public to be told when an emergency room is operating with only virtual physician services instead of a doctor physically present in the facility. This bill creates a new obligation: whenever the Saskatchewan Health Authority approves the use of virtual-only physician coverage in an emergency room, the Minister of Health must make that information publicly available within one hour. The information must be posted electronically, such as on a government website. The bill specifies that the ministry must use existing resources to do this and cannot draw additional funds from the General Revenue Fund to cover the administrative costs of posting the information.