Canada’s premiers are making the case for an increase in federal health care transfers as they meet virtually today.
Federal funding provided to the provinces and territories for health care has decreased considerably since 1960.
The Council of the Federation meeting, chaired by British Columbia Premier John Horgan, comes on the heels of a National Healthcare Survey released by Leger this week.
The survey shows that while Canadians agree that health care is the one of the most important domestic issues facing Canada today, just over half surveyed believe the quality of healthcare has worsened over the last five years and many believe the pandemic is to blame.
The poll shows that a majority of Canadians asked—82 per cent—are worried about getting health services when they are needed and 87 per cent agree that an immediate increase in funding and resources are needed to alleviate the strain to health care caused by the pandemic.
Few Canadians asked—22 per cent—believe the federal government currently provides an adequate amount of funding to the provinces and territories for health care delivery.
BC Premier John Horgan says Canadians have seen the impact of the pandemic on health care services and the provincial, territorial and federal governments have an opportunity to come together to make a “meaningful investment in healthcare.”
The premiers are hosting a virtual news conference this afternoon at 4:30. VOCM News is following the event.
Methodology: The online survey, conducted between January 6 and the 17, used a representative sample of 2,614 Canadian adults 18+. To ensure a fully representative sample, the data was weighted by age, gender, and region based on Statistics Canada data.
Key Findings:
- Canadians believe that healthcare is one of the most important domestic issues facing Canada today.
- 78% of Canadians believe the pandemic has had a large negative impact on Canada’s healthcare systems.
- The vast majority (87%) of Canadians agree that an immediate increase in funding and resources is needed to help alleviate the considerable strain the pandemic has put on their province or territory’s healthcare system.
- 78% of Canadians agree that for long-term improvements in healthcare the federal government’s funding must be sustainable and maintained over time.
- Few Canadians (22%) believe that the federal government currently provides an adequate amount of funding to provinces/territories to properly deliver health services to citizens and even fewer (10%) believe this when they learn that funding has declined from 50% to 22% since 1960.
- 65% of Canadians agree that their provincial or territorial government is best able to determine healthcare spending needs in their province/territory compared to 11% who believe that the federal government is best able.
- 84% believe that provinces and territories should have the flexibility to adapt healthcare funding to their specific needs.
Meanwhile, nurses across the country are hoping to impress on federal, provincial and territorial leaders the urgent shortage of health care workers and a persistent lack of strategic planning in health care.
Nurses are hosting a panel discussion “Hanging by a Thread” to address “the alarming crisis” facing the nation’s health care workforce. NL Registered Nurses Union President Yvette Coffey says without nurses, a hospital bed is just a bed.
She says the whole purpose of the Facebook live event is to bring government attention to the urgent shortage of health care workers.
She says federal leadership is needed to stabilize the nursing workforce.
The Canadian Federation of Nurses Unions is appealing on Ottawa to call a meeting of health care leaders to discuss what they call “critical priorities” including a strategy to recruit and retain nurses.
CFNU President Linda Silas says nurses are at their wits’ end and the pandemic has worsened the staffing shortages, excessive workloads and burnout already been experienced in the health care system.