Saskatchewan is borrowing from Great Britain's health-care system to implement a program which promises to double the amount of time caregivers spend with patients.

Health-care professionals are gathering in Saskatoon on Tuesday afternoon for a conference where they will learn about Britain's Releasing Time to Care system.

According to the creators of the program, nurses in Britain were able to double the amount of time they spent on patient care by becoming more efficient with other tasks.

As an example, they cited how a well organized hospital ward could reduce the amount of time nurses spend hunting for supplies.

In Saskatchewan, two hospital units have been testing the program — Pasqua Hospital's oncology ward in Regina and the medicine unit at Moose Jaw Union Hospital. They started in late 2008 and have already noted success, according to nurses on the units.

Other wards may be added to the program, if they are approved by the agency overseeing the program's introduction in Saskatchewan, the provincial Health Quality Council.

The council plans to select 12 more acute care hospital units to implement the system in September 2009. In early 2010 the program will be available to other wards across the province.

Health-care leaders from British Columbia, Manitoba, New Brunswick and Ontario are also attending Tuesday's workshop.