Massive money infusions won't help NS health care, transformation needed

Community Action, March 20, 2008

"Even massive infusions of money would not provide the services needed, were the status quo maintained," a report on Nova Scotia's health care system states. "Overall, the system is stressed to capacity and at the same time, is not contributing as well as it could to the health status of Nova Scotians."

In response to the report, Premier Rodney MacDonald announced that Nova Scotia will act on the 103 recommendations made by Corpus Sanchez International in Changing Nova Scotia's Health Care System: Creating Sustainability Through Transformation. As recommended, it will complete the work within three years.

"The starting point for transformation must be a renewed emphasis on primary and, to a somewhat lesser extent, continuing care," the report states. It adds that "this must include the difficult decision to shift everything other than acute care out of acute care hospitals, even when doing so upsets traditional patterns of service for smaller and rural communities."

Specific and immediate initiatives by the province include establishing a selfcare/telecare phone line for 24/7 health advice, establishing a health human resource strategy, reviewing pharmacy and laboratory services, improving the flow of patients throughout the hospital system, and the use of non-clinical support services.

The Corpus Sanchez International report points out that Nova Scotia has many of the same problems as other jurisdictions throughout Canada and the world: an aging population, and a shortage of health care personnel.

"The human resource challenge is to ensure that all professionals work at the appropriate scope of practice, recognizing that the changing demands for healthcare services may require that the scope be altered to reflect the realities of an emerging range of healthcare services different from what exists today."

The report states, "The solution is not somehow finding more nurses or more physicians; it is a question of finding the appropriate range and mix of professional (and support) staff, and giving them the scope to provide the healthcare services that the Province's population will need."

Bradley J. Campbell heads Corpus Sanchez International.

www.gov.ns.ca/health