No one knows how long the backlog for health care in Canda and the effects could be felt for years to come.
As Ontario reached the two-year mark of the pandemic earlier this year, it secured another grim milestone: the province’s surgical backlog had pushed past a million procedures.We deliver the local news you need in these turbulent times on weekdays at 3 p.m.By clicking on the sign up button you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. You may unsubscribe any time by clicking on the unsubscribe link at the bottom of our emails. Postmedia Network Inc.
In response, the Ontario government has spent nearly a billion dollars battling the backlog. The government hopes to push through more than 200,000 surgeries and procedures in 2022-23 with incentives to hospitals and Ontario is training surgical staff to better manage waitlists and prioritize the most urgent cases.Article content
Proponents of private delivery are at pains to point out that this is perfectly acceptable under the Canada Health Act. But are Canadians ready for more health care being provided by private clinics?When the Ontario government rolled out its updated strategy in August, the name told a story. It was dubbed the “Plan to Stay Open,” which won’t win any public policy awards for vaulting ambition.
The government hasn’t been eager to talk about private delivery since then, but some proponents think there’s no reason to make this policy a temporary thing. When Saskatchewan launched its surgical initiative in 2010, it was accompanied by a goal to reduce wait times by 2014 and MacKinnon credits former premier Brad Wall’s ability to stay single-mindedly focused on that goal for its success.Article content
And with pandemic burnout causing staffing shortages and early retirements among nurses, private clinics could be a tempting option for nurses looking to stay in the workforce, but with less stress.Article content
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