Atlantic Ministers of Health met in Prince Edward Island last evening and today to discuss ways to work together to improve health outcomes for patients, and ensure the system remains sustainable.
The Charlottetown meeting was attended by New Brunswick Minister of Health Hugh Flemming, Nova Scotia Minister of Health and Wellness Leo Glavine, Newfoundland and Labrador Minister of Health and Community Services Paul Davis, and Prince Edward Island Minister of Health and Wellness Doug Currie.
“As a region we share similar challenges, as well as opportunities for collaboration,” said Minister Currie. “I look forward to building on these discussions and continuing to work with my colleagues to give patients better access to quality care.”
The ministers agreed to continue to work together in a number of areas and take the following actions:
• recognize shared challenges in mental health and addictions and share best practices for programs and services;
• Prince Edward Island will host a summit on drug costs this fall. By increasing the rate the provinces use a generic version of a drug instead of a brand name, it’s anticipated significant savings totalling tens of millions of dollars could be saved by Atlantic taxpayers; and
• engage in a discussion with the federal government about partnership opportunities to fund innovative healthcare.
Ministers talked about ways Atlantic provinces can work together to improve healthcare delivery, such as:
• streamlining the processes and paperwork physicians need to fill locum positions;
• strategies to improve wait times;
• and innovative ways to deal with rising healthcare costs.
“Most provinces are facing an aging population. Atlantic Canada is facing that trend first. We’ll have lessons to share with the rest of Canada, and we are working on ways to ensure that seniors get the care they need in the best and most efficient way possible,” said Leo Glavine, Nova Scotia’s Minister of Health and Wellness.