Decisions about medical care must not be left to politicians: UNA

In addition to infringing on the rights of young people and their families, Premier Danielle Smith’s statements yesterday and and today that restrictions will be placed on gender-affirming health care for young people opens the door to more interference by politicians in decisions that must be left with medical professionals and their patients.
 
Nurses are naturally angered by the assault on human rights of a tiny minority of Albertans at the heart of this policy, and the hurt and damage to our fellow citizens it is bound to cause. The policies announced by Premier Smith are an obvious denial of human rights.
 
United Nurses of Alberta also strongly believes appropriate medical treatment for all patients must be determined by qualified health care practitioners based on clinical evidence, not politicians who want to meddle in medical decisions for political and ideological reasons.
 
There is no place in 21st Century medicine for politicians to make clinical treatment decisions for individuals or classes of people based on those politicians’ political strategies and ideological goals.
 
To use medical treatment of young people as an excuse to mount a politically motivated attack on gender-affirming health care will put the lives of young people at risk, ultimately increase the costs of providing health care, and set a dangerous precedent that should concern us all.
 
Political decisions to block one kind of medical treatment can easily lead to political decisions to block other kinds.
 
Since this comes at a time when access to health care is a growing concern among the Alberta public, this policy decision by the government appears also to be an attempt to distract Albertans from the desperate problems and needs of the health care system.
 
Medical organizations recognize that gender-affirming care is a safe and evidence-based form of patient care that leads to better health outcomes for transgender people of all ages, including young people.
 
UNA is committed to helping create welcoming, affirming and safe health care spaces for all communities.