Time to put health care in Canadians' hands: report
With a health-care system in crisis, a new report entitled Taking Back Healthcare says it's time to re-imagine health-care and put control back in the hands of the public.
The report from the non-partisan group The Public Policy Forum is co-authored by health-care experts from across Canada. It makes the case for easier access to care and expanded coverage. The authors believe better health outcomes will come, in part, by caring for health-care workers.
Along with the report, in an open letter they're calling on Canadians to demand better — reminding them, it's their health-care system. It reads in part, "Reform really starts with the expectations of Canadians, and decision-makers should work back from there."
Dr. Victoria Lee is one of the co-authors. She told CTV News the report came out at an opportune time. A national discussion about health-care is underway, as staff are burnt out, some emergency rooms have closed, and many people lack access to family doctors.
"I think there is certainly an agreement that of course, there's a lot of resources in the system. There's ways for us to better utilize resources. And if there's additional dollars, it'd be great to look at how do we enable that innovation and change agenda," Dr. Lee added.
The report makes big recommendations that won't be easy to implement and could take years. One of the ideas is to guarantee access to primary care within 30 minutes of where Canadians live or work.
Dr. Lee pointed out that given the country's expansive geography, that could mean a physical or virtual appointment. She said health-care professionals jumped into action quickly, to offer virtual options during the COVID-19 pandemic.
She added, "Now we've jump-started that area, and how do we actually move from that foundation to provide more accessible connected care whether we're in Nunavut, or whether you're in Ottawa, and I think those are some of the things that we need to work through as a system and if we commit to the same outcome, how do we deliver that?"
B.C.'S RESPONSE
B.C. Health Minister Adrian Dix said he believed the goal of increasing access was one worth reaching for.
"And the way to do that is to keep building our primary care networks to get to of course train more doctors," he added.
B.C. has several communities with the networks which use a team-based approach to delivering front-line care.
Advocate Camille Currie, who is president of B.C. Healthcare Matters said she had concerns about how those clinics are resourced and said she'd heard from the public and medical professionals that they weren't sure how the clinics fit into the system.
"I have some concerns about how slowly primary care networks are being rolled out. I have concerns about how decisions are being made about allocations of funding and needs of communities," added Currie.
Currie said the Taking Back Healthcare report included many of the recommendations that her group is pushing for, including for Canadians to become involved in re-shaping what public health-care looks like. As for the report's recommendation that things like dental care and vision care and other allied health professions be covered, she said the focus should be on foundational changes.
"Primary care is the foundation to our entire health-care system. So before we consider any additions to the other levels above that, such as acute care or long-term care or private industries like this, we need to really make sure that we have solidified that primary care structure," Currie explained.
NATIONAL MEETING
At a meeting in February, the country's premiers and the prime minister will discuss health-care funding. Much of the discussion has centred around who pays, and how much.
Dr. Lee told CTV the report wasn't meant to influence those discussions. She said the goal was to look at the issues facing Canadian health-care.
"As a Canadian, I think all of us feel very strongly and keep our health system very close to our hearts," Dr. Lee added.
Experts and advocates hope when politicians meet, they remember the heart of the matter — patients.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Cuban government apologizes to Montreal-area family after delivering wrong body
Cuba's foreign affairs minister has apologized to a Montreal-area family after they were sent the wrong body following the death of a loved one.
What is changing about Canada's capital gains tax and how does it impact me?
The federal government's proposed change to capital gains taxation is expected to increase taxes on investments and mainly affect wealthy Canadians and businesses. Here's what you need to know about the move.
Quebec nurse had to clean up after husband's death in Montreal hospital
On a night she should have been mourning, a nurse from Quebec's Laurentians region says she was forced to clean up her husband after he died at a hospital in Montreal.
'Anything to win': Trudeau says as Poilievre defends meeting protesters
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is accusing Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre of welcoming 'the support of conspiracy theorists and extremists,' after the Conservative leader was photographed meeting with protesters, which his office has defended.
Fair in Ontario, flurries in Labrador: Weather systems make for an erratic spring
"It's a bit of a complicated pattern; we've got a lot going on," said Jennifer Smith of the Meteorological Service of Canada in an interview with CTVNews.ca on Wednesday. "[As is] typical with weather, all of these things are related."
Boeing's financial woes continue, while families of crash victims urge U.S. to prosecute the company
Boeing said Wednesday that it lost US$355 million on falling revenue in the first quarter, another sign of the crisis gripping the aircraft manufacturer as it faces increasing scrutiny over the safety of its planes and accusations of shoddy work from a growing number of whistleblowers.
Police tangle with students in Texas and California as wave of campus protest against Gaza war grows
Police tangled with student demonstrators in Texas and California while new encampments sprouted Wednesday at Harvard and other colleges as school leaders sought ways to defuse a growing wave of pro-Palestinian protests.
Bank of Canada officials split on when to start cutting interest rates
Members of the Bank of Canada's governing council were split on how long the central bank should wait before it starts cutting interest rates when they met earlier this month.
Northern Ont. lawyer who abandoned clients in child protection cases disbarred
A North Bay, Ont., lawyer who abandoned 15 clients – many of them child protection cases – has lost his licence to practise law.