The premiers need a plan for health care reform

The premiers are gathered in Winnipeg this week and health care is once again on the agenda.

After the federal government offered $46 billion in new funding in February, the big question became how to move ahead with urgently needed reforms to deal with a health system that’s nearing its breaking point.

ERs are closed, wait times seem endless, health care workers are demoralized and primary care remains out of reach for far too many Canadians.

The new federal funding came with conditions that the provinces present plans outlining how the money will be spent and how progress will be measured. None of the provinces have presented those plans yet.

Last March, the Public Policy Forum published an urgent to-do list for reform. It’s part of PPF’s Taking Back Health Care project — a year-long initiative to assemble and promote the best thinking about actions necessary to address Canada’s health-care crisis.

The reforms in the PPF to-do list include things like freeing up time for patient care by cutting the administrative workload of doctors, making national licensure of health professionals happen, and building Canada-wide primary care data capability.

These to-dos will require leadership and collaborative work by a host of players, including those provincial premiers now in Winnipeg. As the reports states: The time for bold action is now.

The full list of  all 10 to-do items is here.