Lab services move to Primary Care Alberta on April 1, 2026

Alberta Precision Laboratories will transfer from Alberta Health Services to Primary Care Alberta on April 1, 2026, and the provincial government says services and staffing will continue without change.

Alberta Precision Laboratories (APL), which provides hospital and community laboratory testing across the province, will move from Alberta Health Services to Primary Care Alberta on April 1, 2026. The province says the change is part of a broader health restructuring that splits the single health authority into multiple agencies and that laboratory services will continue without added cost or reduced service levels. The transition follows earlier disruptions related to attempted privatization of community lab services and an auditor general report on those efforts, and some physician leaders and unions report they have not received clear information about the path forward. Key points: - APL ownership will transfer to Primary Care Alberta on April 1, 2026. - The government announced APL will operate as an independent organization under Primary Care Alberta and said services, quality standards and staffing will continue uninterrupted. - The move is part of a provincial reorganization that split Alberta Health Services into multiple agencies, including Primary Care Alberta and Acute Care Alberta. - Physician leaders and the Health Sciences Association of Alberta, which represents more than 6,800 members, expressed concern about communication and repeated employer changes. Summary: The change shifts governance of provincial laboratory services to Primary Care Alberta while officials state operations and employment will remain steady. Stakeholders have asked for clearer information about how APL will continue supporting hospital, community and public-health testing. The ownership transition is scheduled to take effect on April 1, 2026.