EDMONTON — In a stunning political reversal, Premier Ed Stelmach announced Thursday a sweeping, third-party review of emergency room delays and cancer care wait lists.

The announcement came hours before media reports detailed a lawsuit filed by a thoracic surgeon formerly from Edmonton, who claimed he was forced out of his practice more than a decade ago when he complained publicly to the Conservative caucus, the health minister and senior bureaucrats about surgery wait times and inadequate resources.

Dr. Ciaran McNamee, who now teaches at Harvard, settled the suit in 2006 for an undisclosed amount.

Stelmach’s announcement came two days after he told reporters he would not embark on a “wild goose chase” based on “a bunch of e-mails” about “totally unsubstantiated” allegations, and that he would “just as soon let this die.”

The independent Health Quality Council of Alberta will review the 322 cases of compromised care alleged by emergency room doctors last fall, and independent MLA Dr. Raj Sherman’s allegations last week that 250 lung cancer patients died while waiting for surgery.

One Leduc man whose wife died last year while waiting for chemotherapy treatments said he has little faith the review will lead to substantive changes.

“Why do we have to keep on looking and looking when we know what the problem is?” said Wave Reynar.

Last May, Ann Reynar was diagnosed with Stage 4 colon cancer.

Like other patients with no chance of a cure, she was placed on lower priority for chemotherapy and died while waiting for treatment.

Her death prompted Alberta Health Services to fast-track a new system where cancer patients are linked up with “patient navigators” to guide them through treatments. Former Alberta Health Services CEO Stephen Duckett visited the couple at their home before her death.

Since his wife’s death, Reynar said he’s heard similar calls for change from government and health officials, but has seen little action.

“Enough inquires – get on with it,” he said.

In its review, the health council will not investigate Sherman’s explosive charges that doctors were paid millions to keep quiet about the lung cancer deaths, or his allegations that the defunct Capital Health Region was keeping two sets of books.

“The reckless statements in the house have ... caused ordinary Albertans to question if they will get good care when they need it,” Stelmach said. “That is unacceptable, so I’m drawing the line, and I’ve asked the minister of health and wellness to clear the air.”

He reiterated in the legislature Wednesday that the government was not going to investigate allegations without credible evidence.

Last week, Sherman alleged in the legislature that hundreds of lung cancer patients had died waiting for surgery and doctors were paid millions in hush money to keep quiet about it.

Sherman said Thursday a review isn’t good enough and demanded a full public inquiry.

“Having been assistant to the minister, (I know) the way that reviews work are that you get terms of reference — very narrow, very focused terms of reference that are palatable to the minister and the government. Then you get a report,” he said.

“It’s a very simplistic way of getting you, the media, off the minister’s back to try to reassure public confidence. That’s all this is.”

Health Minister Gene Zwozdesky said the review will focus on wait times in emergency rooms and for cancer care. “It’s time for us to get the facts out on the table,” he said. “The HQCA will begin its work almost immediately. ... There will be no limitations placed on where they go looking for their information.”

The council’s work will take place behind closed doors, but doctors and others who come forward will have immunity and anonymity under the Alberta Evidence Act. The council will report to the minister, not the legislature. The report will be made public.

Dr. John Cowell, CEO of the Health Quality Council of Alberta, said the investigation will take between three and five months, including the writing of the report.

“We will look at these cases with brand new eyes and complete objectivity,” Cowell said. “We’re going to be completely independent.”

Cowell said four to 10 people will research the 322 cases of patient who died or became sicker while waiting for emergency care, as well as the 250 patients who allegedly died while waiting for lung surgery.

He said the team will seek to review what the Alberta Health Services team has found, but may not rely on it. He said he will personally ensure that all interviews are entirely confidential.

“Participants are protected from any action,” he said “Their names are protected. Their testimony is protected. The only thing that comes forward are the facts.”

Any evidence of “financial malfeasance” will be passed to the auditor general, he said, and suggestions of professional misconduct would be turned over to the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Alberta.

NDP Leader Brian Mason said the move is a significant victory for the opposition, for doctors and for patients.

“Albertans have been bombarding this government with demands that these issues be looked into. We’re talking about a lot of instances where people did not receive the care they should have received,” he said. “The government has been stonewalling and dragging its feet up until now. Today the premier finally caved in.”

Liberal MLA Kevin Taft said: “It’s pretty clear this government is running scared. You can see the fear in their faces. ... It makes you wonder what their frightened of getting exposed.”

Dr. Paul Parks, the Alberta Medical Association’s section president for emergency medicine, said emergency doctors are guardedly optimistic about the investigation, as long as the health minister doesn’t limit the scope or keep the results secret.

“What we’ve been saying all along, we would like for the truth to come out,” Parks said. “We want to restore some public faith in the health-care system. A lot of health-care providers are concerned the public faith is shaken.”

kkleiss@edmontonjournal.com

jsinnema@edmontonjournal.com