Federal government prepared to increase health transfers: Duclos

Just as Canada’s health ministers meet about their floundering health systems, the federal government says it’s ready to increase healthcare transfers to provinces and territories.

However, federal Health Minister Jean-Yves Duclos says the jurisdictions must commit to expanding the use of common key health indicators and to build a world-class health data system for the country.

“Access to a family doctor, reducing the time it takes to access proper mental health services, reducing the backlogs in surgeries,” he said. “Those are the types of outcomes that Canadians are watching for.”

Duclos made the statements just before the ministers held a news conference in Vancouver, setting out their proposals for an increase in Canada health transfers.

Host minister Adrian Dix says the provinces and territories had settled on a “united and common approach” to take to Duclos, that health transfers should be increased to 35 per cent, a level that should be maintained.

He says given what the territories and provinces have been through with COVID-19, there needs to be a national conference on the health transfer system to reach a funding agreement.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said earlier in Montreal that the government has committed to investing “significantly more” in health care, but it wants assurances people have access to a family doctor and to mental health services.

Dix says the situation demands particular urgency because “this is going to be a difficult winter,” referring to an expected spike in respiratory illnesses “including but not limited to COVID-19.”

The meetings in Vancouver are the first time all of Canada’s health ministers have gathered in person since 2018.