Family doctors say Hinshaw wrongly implied their support for COVID changes

The Alberta College of Family Physicians says it was not consulted and had no prior knowledge about the province's new protocols on testing, isolation and contact tracing, despite what may have been suggested by the province's chief medical officer of health.

The province is closing all COVID-19 assessment centres at the end of August, leaving the responsibility for testing to family doctors offices and clinics.

At a webinaron Thursday,Dr. Deena Hinshaw was asked when the province will provide physicians withrecommendations to protect the safety of their staff and patients. Hinshawtold attendees thosenew protocols are coming.

"Since early July, we've been working with leaders from the PCN(primary care network) governance structure as well as the Alberta College of Family Physicians to again think through what that office guidance would look like for primary care," she said.

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Dr. Sudha Koppula, president of the Alberta College of Family Physicians, said Hinshaw's statement wrongly implied her organization was consulted on and had knowledge about the changes prior to the announcement on July 28.

Koppula said family physicians who were in the town hall promptly reached out to the ACFP on Twitter, concerned their organization endorsed the changes without telling its members.

"We want to be really clear that these policy changes were not made with our consultation or with our input whatsoever," she said in an interview with CBC on Friday.

Koppulasaid physiciansare concerned the assessment centre closureswill bring positiveCOVID patients into doctors' offices, where they will be interacting with staff and other patients. The worry is particularly acute in some parts of rural Alberta where a significant portion of the population remains unvaccinated, Koppula said.

She said the ACFP would be happy to offer its thoughts to Alberta Health on the new changes.

Government denies implication

A spokesperson with Alberta Health denied Hinshaw was trying to imply family doctors were on side withthe controversial new policies.

"Dr. Hinshaw did not make any comment on the College's support for the policy changes announced on July 28," communications director Chris Bourdeau said in an email. He added Alberta Health meets regularly with primary care leaders to discuss issues relating to COVID-19.

The Alberta College of Family Physicians is the latest group to speak out against the changes announced by Hinshaw.

The Canadian Paediatric Society and the Alberta Medical Association have also raised concerns.

Alberta is cutting contact tracing and limiting testing to severe cases only. Mandatory isolation for positive COVID cases ends on Aug.16. Alberta is also not requiring students to wear masks when school resumes in September, althoughchildren under 12 are not yet eligible tobe vaccinated.

These changes come as the more contagious delta variant of COVID-19 is responsible foran increasing portion of positive cases in Alberta. Case numbers and hospitalizations have increased since the province ended most restrictions, including mandatory masking, on July 1.