Alberta’s government is promising a $7.7-billion investment for physicians in the upcoming budget.
Premier Danielle Smith said the province is working to recruit more doctors and will include a $1.4-billion spending boost for physicians if the budget is passed. She said that represents a 22 per cent increase over last year and the highest amount in provincial history.
According to Smith, the funding includes $7.3 billion for physician services, $450 million for recruitment and education and $15 million for other supports.
“Health care is one of the most important factors in everyone’s quality of life, and Albertans deserve easy access when they need it and close to where they live,” she said.
Primary and Preventative Health Services Minister Adriana LaGrange said the investment builds on a new primary care physician compensation model introduced in 2025.
“We’ve listened to our doctors. We have worked collaboratively with the Alberta Medical Association, and together we created a new primary care physician compensation model that reflects today’s reality,” LaGrange said.
The province has provided about $200 million over two years to help physicians transition to the new model and $57 million over three years to help family doctors and nurse practitioners manage growing patient loads, LaGrange said. She added that an additional $780 million in new investments was negotiated as part of the current agreement with the Alberta Medical Association.
There are currently 1,190 physicians enrolled in the new compensation model.
LaGrange pointed to the province’s Find-a-Provider website, saying more than 700 family doctors are accepting new patients across Alberta.
“Of that total, more than $7.3 billion will support physician services, funding treatments, appointments and training so Albertans can get the care that they deserve,” she said.
Smith also said that since 2019 the province has added 2,060 doctors, 12,000 registered nurses, 3,400 licensed practical nurses, 1,300 paramedics and more than 12,000 health-care aides.
She said the province plans to increase the number of nursing graduates by 2030 and expand medical school training spaces, including in Grande Prairie and Lethbridge.
The Opposition NDP criticized the announcement. Sharif Haji, the party’s shadow minister for primary and preventative health services, said questions remain about whether the funding will translate into more doctors for patients.
“Nearly a million Albertans still don’t have a family doctor, and the gap between reality and rhetoric from the UCP government needs to be closed,” Haji said in a statement.
“The announcement today by the premier is unclear as to whether this new money will just cover a new contract with existing doctors or will see a real gain in doctor-to-patient numbers. The reality is we have fewer doctors per capita in Alberta than we did when the UCP government came to power.”
He added that it has been more than a month since the province announced it would put triage doctors in emergency rooms and that commitment remains unfulfilled.
“There is no clarity on how many doctors will be hired or how far this announcement will go to ensuring there are enough physicians in Alberta to reduce wait times and increase accessibility to a doctor,” Haji said. “Albertans deserve a government that rolls up its sleeves and does the work needed to recruit and retain doctors.”
Budget 2026 is expected to be tabled later this week.
