An internal Alberta Health Services (AHS) audit completed in late September 2024 revealed that the process for some patient referrals to other healthcare providers may not have been completed. The concern was that in some cases, this may have caused a delay in care.

Our clinical teams continue to work urgently and have made significant progress in reviewing and addressing these referrals across all zones, and in cases where there was a possible delay, to determine if there was potential harm to a patient. AHS is contacting any patient who is at potential risk of harm directly, as quickly as possible.

Overall, as the referrals have been investigated, the number of referrals that have been delayed and those with potential harm are far lower than previously anticipated, and many had already been sent manually or through other mechanisms.

On average, AHS issues approximately 100,000 referrals annually.

AHS has already taken immediate action to expedite care for patients who are at potential risk of harm by delayed referrals.

Patients will be provided with the opportunity to address any questions and concerns they might have.

AHS takes any potential impact to patient care very seriously, and we are deeply sorry for any patient care delays.

AHS has implemented several measures to prevent this in the future, including changing the process to improve how referrals are tracked, and providing additional education, training sessions and audit reports for those involved in processing patient referrals. AHS will also work closely with the Health Quality Council of Alberta, as part of their independent, third-party review into this issue.