Rachel Notley and the Alberta NDP have pledged $40 million to support the planning and design of a new, stand-alone Stollery Children's Hospital.

This has been a top priority for Alberta Health Services, and the Alberta NDP will make sure they can get it done.

For families facing so much fear and uncertainty, the Stollery is a source of hope.

But as Alberta grows, it is becoming more difficult to have this children's hospital inside of an adult hospital.

A new facility will create more inpatient pediatric beds, reduce wait times for child surgeries and lower the length of hospital stays.

The hospital would be purpose-designed for kids and families, offering a sense of comfort and security for children often facing difficult circumstances, while also preparing the province for the growth in demand for pediatric care into the future.

The Stollery is the most specialized children's hospital in Western Canada, and is a major hub for pediatric heart surgery, and a national leader in organ transplantation. The Stollery receives more than 300,000 patient visits every year, with almost half coming from out of province.

Any Alberta family who has received treatment inside this hospital will tell you about the dedicated staff - amazing pediatric physicians and surgeons and specialists - who make sure children recieve the world-class health care they need.

It's time to step up and make the decisions necessary to ensure that child healthcare will be available here well into the future.

Planning and design of the new stand-alone Stollery Children's Hospital would take place over the next three years, and would see the hospital open to new patients by 2030.

The Alberta NDP are dedicated to improving access to health care across the province.

For children.

For families.

For you.