The Saskatchewan NDP says a leaked health budget document shows important frontline health needs were left without requested funding, while the Saskatchewan Health Authority says the province’s 2026-27 health budget will support key patient care priorities.
In an interview with the Daily Hearld, Shadow Health Minister Meara Conway said the document outlines funding requests ties mainly to the Saskatchewan Health Authority and shows several requested increases were not approved.
“We received a document regarding the budget, outlining a number of areas where there would have been, like a request for funding through the health budget, mainly through the SHA but we did not receive any increased funding,” Conway said.
She said the document points to a pattern involving unmet needs in mental health and addictions, areas she argued are being felt in communities across the province, including Prince Albert.
“One of the things I think is really concerning about the areas where no where we see no increases, is the theme of mental health and addiction,” Conway said.
Conway said items she viewed as especially concerning included requested increases for mental health and addictions volume pressures, PACT teams, wellness buses and other community supports. She said the document is not broken down by community, but argued many of the listed services would still affect Prince Albert because they are delivered across the province.
“It would impact P.A and all the places where those services are in place, but it doesn’t say specifically the community, unless it’s about a specific facility, like the Regina acute care bed capacity or that kind of thing,” Conway said.
She said the bigger concern was the number of other requested items that appeared not to receive increased funding. Conway argued that some of those omissions are closely tied to patient flow and hospital pressures.
One example she pointed to was home care, where $8.5 million was requested and $2.2 million was provided.
“According to CIHI, the Canadian Institute for Health Information, a night in the hospital—a bed in this kind of situation—costs between three and $5,000,” Conway said.
Conway said a lack of supports in home care, housing, long-term care and mental health can leave more people stuck in hospital beds or turning up in emergency departments, adding strain to the overall system.
SHA did not directly answer questions about the leaked document itself, including whether it was authentic or what stage of the budget process it reflected.
Instead, in a written response sent through media relations, SHA said the province has allocated $5.15 billion to the authority in the 2026-27 budget, which it described as a 4.25 per cent increase year over year. SHA said that funding will support greater access to team-based primary care, expanded hospital capacity and urgent care, seniors’ care and recovery-based mental health and addictions services.
SHA also said it works closely with the Ministry of Health during the annual budgeting process to determine how funding is allocated and to address service pressures throughout the year.
arjun.pillai@paherald.sk.ca
