Dominic LeBlanc and federal Health Minister Jean-Yves Duclos were in Halifax on Monday to meet with Premier Tim Houston and Nova Scotia Minister of Health Michelle Thompsonto discuss the proposed agreement.
We do not expect this to be a difficult or complicated process in Nova Scotia
Mr. LeBlanc told reporters after the meeting.
« The Prime Minister wants this to happen quickly. He made it very clear that he wanted to act quickly. U.S. too. »
Additional funding targeted to the provinces
The meeting took place on the same day that the country’s premiers announced that they would accept a federal government proposal to increase the Canada Health Transfer as part of a 10-year agreement that provides 46.2 billions of new money for the provinces and territories.
Bilateral agreements with provinces and territories aim to provide additional targeted funding to help address key issues.
The Nova Scotia agreement provides for an additional $102 million per year from Ottawa. This is in addition to the $52 million increase he will receive under the enhanced Federal Health Transfer.
Nova Scotia Health Minister Michelle Thompsonhas meant that knowing that the bilateral money will last 10 years also helps with long-term planning to improve the health system.
Ottawa’s priorities for the use of bilateral funds align with sectors already targeted by the province, she told reporters.
« We want to invest in the workforce. We want to look at primary care, access to surgery, accountability, and having real-time data so we can make decisions. »
The minister said she was confident from Monday’s meeting that the new funds from Ottawa will be ready to be included in the next provincial budget.
Many sectors to finance
Opposition politicians commented that there are many areas where the additional funding could be used.
We need to understand why full-time nurses are now working part-time
said Liberal Health Critic Brendan Maguire.
« We need to understand why we have so many health care professionals with short and long term disabilities. We have to do things to entice people to stay in Nova Scotia, which means being a little creative. »
On Monday, the Liberals issued a statement stressing that the Conservative government is almost certain to break its promise to bring surgery wait times in line with national benchmarks by this month.
Meanwhile, the provincial health authority is expected to release an update later this week on the number of people without a family doctor or nurse practitioner.
NDP Health Critic Susan Leblanc stressed that at a time when the list is reaching all-time highs – nearly 130,000 last month – Tim Houston’s government must do everything in its power to making sure people get care when they need it.
Ms. Leblanc commented that her party is calling on the government to expand the use of collaborative care clinics, which employ doctors, nurses, nurse practitioners and other health professionals.
According to a report by Michael Gorman, of CBC
