Health and Social Services Minister Jamie Ballem advised today that the annual meeting of health ministers in Banff this week was an excellent opportunity to discuss major health issues and identify collaborative solutions at a national level.
"Our most significant discussions were about the Romanow Report On the Future of Health Care which will be released in November," said the minister. "The future sustainability of Canada's publicly funded health care system is the first priority of all ministers, and our meetings this week provided a good opportunity to discuss how we might respond appropriately to the recommendations in the report."
Prince Edward Island made three major recommendations to the Romanow Commission earlier this year. The first was to ensure that Canada's health care system remains publicly funded and publicly administered, but allows for continued assessment of alternatives for innovative delivery of services. Secondly, PEI recommended a stronger role for the federal government as a funding partner in Canada's health system, both in terms of base funding and system innovation. Finally, PEI recommended that population health and wellness be reinforced in improving the sustainability of the health system.
Other major topics of discussion at the meeting included human resource issues, the development of a national healthy living campaign, and accountability reporting.
"Ministers recognize the important contribution of Canada's nurses and we have been taking action. Among our achievements are better health human resource planning, a 40 per cent increase in spaces nationwide for students in nursing programs, and innovative ways to retain nurses," he said. "We discussed the report of the Canadian Nursing Advisory Committee at length, and we will be acting on its recommendations to increase our nursing workforce and improve the quality of nursing work life."
In addition to considering current needs, ministers also discussed ways to prevent illness and promote good health in future. Agreement was reached to work together on a pan-Canadian healthy living strategy that emphasizes nutrition, physical activity, and healthy weights. "The national healthy living campaign will be a great support for the provincial chronic disease prevention strategy we will be implementing in our province over the coming months," said Minister Ballem. "The aim of the healthy living campaign is to promote good health and reduce the risk factors for diabetes, cancer, cardiovascular and respiratory diseases, and the burden they place on health care. The campaign will include multiple strategies to help less motivated people to eat healthier and exercise more."
Ministers also agreed to establish a single common drug review process to streamline drug assessment and drug plan listing among all provinces and territories. "This initiative builds on the success achieved by the common drug review process established recently by the four Atlantic provinces," said the minister.
The final major topic of discussion was the pending release of reports by all jurisdictions later this month on their health system performance and outcomes. Minister Ballem advised that PEI will release its Common Health Indicators report September 30. It will report on 58 measures which show how Prince Edward Island compares in terms of health status, health outcomes and service quality.