Does Canada need new models of physician compensation?
Payments to physicians have emerged as a critical issue in health care in recent years. In Ontario, they have risen by 60 per cent in the last decade, putting additional pressure on a provincial budget that already is under stress, and the story is similar in other provinces. While the aggregate fiscal burden may be […]
We can’t rest on our laurels on mental health strategy
In many discussions on health policy, the subjects of mental health and mental illness quite often take a back seat. This is astounding when you consider that one in five people in Canada will experience a mental health problem or illness in any given year. Since the government in 2007 created us, the Mental Health Commission […]
No magic bullet: caring for seniors requires political will and broad systems change
For the last five years, medical groups such as the Canadian Medical Association (CMA), Canadian Nurses Association (CNA) and national health organisations like the Health Action Lobby (HEAL) and Canadian Health Coalition have sounded the alarm that our health-care system will not be able to cope with the health-care needs of the coming ‘tsunami’ of senior […]
Time to act on a national aging strategy for Canada
It’s time to act on a national aging strategy for Canada. New Democrats are proud of our cherished public health-care system, the legacy of Tommy Douglas and his courageous leadership. It was founded on the principle of universality: that all Canadians have access to health care regardless of income or background or where they live. […]
Canada’s frayed health-care system needs a complete rethink, say experts
A frayed health-care system, which is inconsistent across the country and stuck on serving patients in hospitals, needs a complete rethink in order to address the multiple gaps in funding, including in mental health. Raisa Deber, a professor at the Institute of Health Policy, Management and Evaluation in the faculty of medicine at the University of […]
Feds should invest in prevention-based research, say experts
While the federal government has largely shied away from embracing a role in how health care is delivered to Canadians, some experts say there is room for investment in prevention-based research. “We have to embrace that concept,” said Dr. Jeff Turnbull, chief of staff at the Ottawa Hospital, medical director at Ottawa Inner City Health, […]
‘Devil’s in the details’ of Vanessa’s Law, say front line health-care workers
Stakeholders say they are eager for consultations to begin on the new regulatory framework of Vanessa’s Law because many of the law’s details have been left largely up to interpretation or discretion and doctors and nurses want to know what the new powers and responsibilities on adverse drug reactions will mean for front line health-care […]
Vanessa’s Law one of most profound change to Food and Drugs Act in more than 50 years
Our government works hard every day to protect the health and safety of Canadians. I am particularly proud of the passage of Vanessa’s Law in late 2014 that represents the most profound and important changes to the Food and Drugs Act in over 50 years. My colleague Conservative MP Terence Young worked tirelessly to build […]
‘More money is not the solution to challenges in the health-care system’: Minister Ambrose
Canada’s federal Health Minister Rona Ambrose says although the federal government is the “single largest investor in health research and innovation in the country,” money isn’t what is needed to begin tackling the challenges facing the health-care system. Ms. Ambrose pointed to the creation of an advisory panel to examine the state of innovation in […]
Canada to experience sea change in health-care human resources, say experts
Canada will experience a sea change in its health-care human resources as the sector inevitably undergoes a transition toward more home and community-based care and the transition may not be easy, say some health policy experts. “Health has changed, but health care has not changed,” said Dr. Jeff Turnbull, the chief of staff at the […]
