A policy that would have seen toiletries and snacks taken away from mental health patients at Alberta Hospital is being reversed by the Alberta government just days after it became public.

The policy was part of an implementation plan to standardize supplies across the province and was supposed to save Alberta Health Services $70,000 a year.

MLA Fred Horne, who sits on the Health Advisory Committee, tells CTV News he learned of the plan Saturday morning and immediately called Health Minister Ron Liepert.

"I called Minister Liepert and we talking about the situation and he shared my feeling that we needed to ask Alberta Health Services to rescind this policy," said Horne. "Patients and their families are living through a period of uncertainty and stress and I certainly didn't want to see us do anything to increase that."

The former leader of the Alberta Liberals says Alberta Health Services clearly made a bad decision.

"I think they made the wrong decision to begin with and reversing it is exactly where the public wants to go, but it really leaves you wondering once again who is running the health care system and on what basis they're running it on," said Alberta Liberal Kevin Taft.

The policy would have meant patients at the hospital would no longer get basic toiletries like tooth brushes, soap, feminine hygiene products or snacks in between meals.

"When they're taking away peanut butter and jam and snacks at long term care facilities, when they're taking away toothbrushes, basic toiletries for mental health patients, what's next," asked Taft.

Alberta Union of Provincial Employees spokesperson Guy Smith says while the cuts may have seemed small they would have had a big impact.

"People might think those are minor cuts, but those have direct impacts on patients' well being," said Smith.  

Alberta Health Services says Alberta Hospital is the only facility in the province that provides those kinds of toiletries and snacks to patients.  They say it was natural for them to phase the products out and don't understand why there would be any controversy over the matter.