'Disappointed': Physician associations call on gov'ts to step up with more money, more teamwork

The country’s medical associations want more money put into healthcare and have urged the federal, provincial and territorial governments to work together “immediately” to solve Canada’s health systems crisis. “We are disappointed that meaningful commitments to pan-Canadian collaboration and increased health care funding did not emerge from the recent health ministers’ meeting in Vancouver,” read a December 6 letter addressed to Canada’s First Ministers and signed by the president of each of the country’s 14 associations representing doctors. “Every day that passes without an agreement between governments is another day Canadian patients are left waiting unreasonably long for the medical care they need.” The letter comes one month after the Vancouver meeting, which marked the first time since 2018 that Canada’s health ministers have met in person. Signatories include the presidents of the Canadian Medical Association, the Alberta Medical Association, Doctors of BC, Doctors Manitoba, Doctors Nova Scotia, the Fédération des médecins omnipraticiens du Québec, the Fédération des médecins spécialistes du Québec, the Medical Society of Prince Edward Island, the New Brunswick Medical Society, the Newfoundland and Labrador Medical Association, the Northwest Territories Medical Association, the Ontario Medical Association, the Saskatchewan Medical Association and Yukon Medical Association. "With the ongoing deterioration of healthcare systems across our 13 provincial and territorial jurisdictions, the urgency for more funding in the right places has never been greater," Dr. Alika Lafontaine, president of the CMA, told the Medical Post. "There are two sides to what comes next: the first is to stabilize our health systems through increased funding and collaboration, the second is to shift the ways our health systems operate so we can improve working environments and patient experiences." Read: A solution for Canada’s physician shortage The solutions to the country's health system crisis has been known for a long time, he added. These include: improving mobility of healthcare workers through national licensure, improving data collection and sharing to enable better matching of physicians skills to local patient needs, addressing burnout by shifting administrative workload away from physicians, and migrating to team-based care models such as the medical home. "How fast each jurisdiction can move forward with stabilization and transformation must consider local circumstances, but we know what we need to do," said Dr. Lafontaine. National collaboration is critical, he added. But it's important to distinguish pan-collaboration from national amalgamation. "Provinces, territories and the federal government need to negotiate towards where it makes sense to collaborate and where siloed solutions are are more impactful. We live in a federation, where respecting levels of government is important. What should also be clear now however is that the only way we can get through this current crisis is together. Our challenges are bigger than any single jurisdiction, ideological or political persuasion." Pan-collaboration could take many forms "but ultimately it's about communicating and sharing resources where necessary," said Dr. Lafontaine. He pointed to a recent analysis prepared by Deloitte for the CMA that found governments across Canada have prioritized funding and resources in common areas such as mental health, increasing system capacity and care for older adults. Read: As feds and provinces squabble, what do Canadian docs actually need? The results of this analysis showed that, when it comes to prioritizing health system goals, governments have more in common than they realize. "Rather than jurisdictional bickering, we should be seeking shared solutions," said Dr. Lafontaine. In calling for more money for healthcare, the association presidents underlined the need for “both increased funding and new investment” to deliver improved healthcare for Canadians. "We need hope, we need action," said Dr. Candace Bradshaw, president of Doctors Manitoba. "Instead, we come home and see the Premiers and Prime Minister engaged in a political fight about health funding, refusing to meet, and delaying any action. This is why people hate politics. Our health system needs to be rescued and every day of inaction has consequences." Dr. Bradshaw called for doctors to work with their local medical associations to bring attention to the gaps in health system. "By working together, physicians must be the apolitical voice of reason, using evidence to fuel a call for action that governments cannot ignore," she wrote. Read: Fixing the national licence crisis In their letter, the association presidents said doctors are “gravely concerned” about longer wait times, lack of access to primary care, cancelled procedures and delayed diagnostics. “Our medical associations have long called for increased health funding from the federal government to provincial/territorial governments via the Canada Health Transfer. We remain deeply concerned that the federal share of health funding is projected to decline in the near-term, as provinces and territories face unprecedented challenges and increasing health care needs.” The letter closed with an invitation to meet “to discuss how we may collaborate on the need for new funding and action to address Canada’s health care crisis.” “On behalf of Canada’s doctors, we respectfully urge First Ministers to advance meaningful action for the patients of Canada,” the letter concluded. “The gaps in our health care system are growing wider with every day that passes without the necessary political leadership to address the growing crisis.” Read: Trudeau tells health ministers money is there, but he wants to see results

'Disappointed': Physician associations call on gov'ts to step up with more money, more teamwork

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