Health PEI caught in budget crunch

Health PEI will have to do some budget trimming after all.

Health Minister Doug Currie said Thursday the actual health budget will increase, but just not as much as usual.

He said the usual increase is six to seven per cent a year, but that won't happen this year.

"We'll need to be looking at services that are currently being provided. Health PEI has been working very closely with the department of health looking at scenarios, scenario planning on budget," Currie said.

"There will be services that are currently being provided in the province that as a result of trying to meet that budget envelope will have to be repositioned or amalgamated."

Currie said once Health PEI presents its options, it will be up to government to make the final decision.

Meanwhile Opposition health critic James Aylward said the premier led Islanders to believe that health care would not be affected by pending budget cuts.

He said it's unacceptable that health care services will be affected.

In January, Premier Robert Ghiz promised in his state-of-the-province address that health would be excluded from department cuts.

But he also said that Ottawa plans to reallocate health transfers on a per capita basis by 2014, meaning less money will be given for health care on P.E.I.