Press Release
September 9, 2024
The Canadian Medical Association (CMA) has released a new report to compare the bilateral health funding agreements signed between the provinces/territories and the federal government. Prepared by Deloitte, the analysis dives deeper on the best approach to ensure the new funds are strategically managed to benefit all Canadians. Given the complexities of each agreement, the report concludes there must be a greater commitment to tracking improvements to health care delivery and patient outcomes in Canada.
The CMA applauds the completion of the agreements, the creation of targets and the collaboration on shared health priorities, such as:
However, the report highlights several key gaps in the targets created through these agreements. For example, no province or territory has set targets aimed at eliminating closures of emergency rooms, and almost every jurisdiction has set less ambitious targets for modernizing the health care system than what was recommended by the CMA Opens in a new window.
The analysis mentions that:
The CMA urges all levels of governments to embrace proven solutions to ensure this historic-level funding truly transforms our health system. To this day, more than 6.5 million Canadians do not have access to a primary care physician, surgical backlogs remain substantial, and the human health resource shortage is overwhelming.
Given the magnitude of improvements required to lift Canada out of its health care crisis and the resources required to monitor impact across all the provinces and territories, the CMA is calling for the creation of a national Chief Health Accountability Officer Opens in a new window. The role’s sole objective would be to track progress nationwide and report on the efficiency of health care spending toward creating greater access to timely care for all Canadians.
“There is no doubt that enhanced accountability is crucial to successfully implementing durable changes in our health care system. We firmly believe that collaboration between provinces and territories is a key component of achieving long-term changes. Creating a Chief Health Accountability Officer reflects the importance of working across jurisdictions to improve transparency and expedite change.” – Dr. Joss Reimer, President, CMA
The CMA continues to offer its full support to all levels of government in advancing efforts to rebuild the health care system.
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