New Brunswick plans major overhaul of health care over the next two years
A much anticipated health reform plan by the New Brunswick government promises many changes to the system but lacks details on how it will get there.
The plan, which has been in the works for a year, outlines health care changes New Brunswickers will see over the next two years.
As promised, there are no cuts or closures to hospitals or emergency rooms across the province.
“If we’re going to truly embrace rural health care, we have to decide that we can work from a position, in a different direction. And every other government, any other reform or plan, has worked assuming that we have to go from one point. I’ve never believed that. And so if we truly want to create a network of excellence, we’ve got to decide what communities need and work from that point, and I am determined to do that,” Health Minister Dorothy Shephard said in a virtual interview with reporters Wednesday.
Some of the highlights in the 16-page report include a promise to eliminate the waitlist for hip and knee replacement surgery for more than a year. It also promises that by next winter, no one will have to wait over a year for the surgery.
The plan also adds new "multi-patient vehicles" to Ambulance New Brunswick’s fleet, "allowing them to increase service levels for non-emergency transfers for patients across the province."
Shephard said these vehicles are intended to address challenges in transportation across the province, which was one of the most common issues she heard during her consultations.
“This is a starting point. Ambulance New Brunswick is going to bring back a plan as to how we can implement them and utilize them to the best of our ability… and then we will see how it will evolve.”
The plan also includes the addition of emergency medical technicians (EMT).
When asked about that, Shephard said it’s to keep more ambulances on the road.
“Ambulances have two paramedics and when one of those paramedics calls in sick that, typically, that truck is off the road for that shift. And the other ambulance attendant spends their shift re-deployed if possible or they stay in-house. And so, if we have EMTs that we can partner with paramedics, we ensure that ambulances will remain on the road.”
Shephard has been releasing elements of the plan over the last two days, including an announcement that the waitlist for a primary care provider will be completely eliminated by next fall and replaced by an online registry where orphan patients can connect with a provider "in a timely manner."
Within the next couple months, New Brunswickers should see walk-in services available at 14 addiction and mental health sites and by next summer, a provincial phone line will be offered "to ensure addiction and mental health crisis response services are available."
“The first 24 months are the real focus of what we plan on doing to create the vision for our five year plan… and as we’re doing that, we’ll continue to progress with our other initiatives within our mandates,” said Shephard.
NURSES, DOCTORS HAVE SAID RECRUITMENT, RETENTION IS CRITICAL
The plan briefly outlines the province’s intentions to recruit more health-care professionals.
The president of the New Brunswick Nurses Union has been calling on the province to improve its recruitment efforts, saying there are almost 1,000 vacant nursing positions, which has led to 24-hour shifts, denied vacation and burnout.
"We know that we have less and less health human resources available to us, but yet our workloads have continuously increased," said Paula Doucet, president of the New Brunswick Nurses Union. "So, I look at this as potentially a way of doing something different, you know. We'll never know unless we try (to see if) there a better way of doing something."
Shephard’s plan says the province will work with the regulatory bodies, universities and colleges to develop shorter training programs "combined with experiential learning," as well as a speedier process for recognizing health-care professionals with foreign qualifications.
“We’re going to be working with a new program with NBMS (New Brunswick Medical Society) and our associations, making sure that they’re in the loop helping us to continue to go even further than where we’re at,” she said. “We know we need more, but the RHA’s are in constant contact now and I’m proud of the way they’re working together and so, we have what we have at this time and we’ll continue on.”
"Funding barriers will be assessed to identify opportunities to support more New Brunswick students seeking to enter into the health-care professions," the report says.
Shephard said they will be more “aggressive” recruiting students who are from – or want to work - in New Brunswick. She also mentioned she’s had meetings with post-secondary institutions this week on expanding programs.
PLAN RECEIVING MIXED REACTIONS
Nicki Lyons-MacFarlane, who is on the Patient Connect NB wait list, is looking for a family doctor.
"I lost my family doctor last summer, it's been difficult and it's only been a year-and-a-half for me," they said. "If they're adding us to the other primary family physicians in the province, what's the wait time going to look like? Are they bringing in more doctors and nurse practitioners, or are they just going to use an already overtaxed system?"
Liberal opposition health critic Jean-Claude D'Amours says he still has questions about how the plan will work – including how much it will cost.
“When there’s no costing, there’s a big risk that either they don’t want to spend money … or they really don’t have any idea of the cost of what they want to do and we may have a surprise in the future.”
He’s also concerned about depending too much on a virtual care model, and losing quality patient care.
People’s Alliance Leader Kris Austin says there is many positive points in the plan – but he’s concerned about the lack of details on recruiting.
Austin says the changes will depend too much on existing human resources already suffering from burnout.
“I wonder how many physicians will be able to take on the additional workload to ensure that 40,000 New Brunswickers currently without access to primary care will be seen when they need help,” he said.
Dr. Mark MacMillan, president of the New Brunswick Medical Society, says the province is sending a good message to doctors.
"When a physician sees that the province is working with the other stakeholders, like the medical society, and working together with us, that's a big step forward and that's a really positive recruitment tool," said MacMillan.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
'Still so much love between us,' Sophie Gregoire Trudeau says of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau says there is 'still so much love' between her and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, as they navigate their post-separation relationship co-parenting their three children.
What to know about avian influenza in dairy cows and the risk to humans
Why is H5N1, or bird flu, a concern, how does it spread, and is there a vaccine? Here are the answers to some frequently asked questions about avian influenza.
'I was scared': Ontario man's car repossessed after missing two repair loan payments
An Ontario man who took out a loan to pay for auto repairs said his car was repossessed after he missed two payments.
opinion The special relationship between King Charles and the Princess of Wales
Royal commentator Afua Hagan writes that when King Charles recently admitted Catherine to the Order of the Companions of Honour, it not only made history, but it reinforced the strong bond between the King and his beloved daughter-in-law.
Pro-plastic lobbyist presence at UN talks is 'troubling,' say advocates
Environmentalist groups are sounding the alarm about a steep increase in the number of pro-plastic lobbyists at the UN pollution talks taking place this week.
'Too young to have breast cancer': Rates among young Canadian women rising
Breast cancer rates are rising in Canada among women in their 20s, 30s and 40s, according to research by the University of Ottawa (uOttawa).
Charlie Woods, son of Tiger, shoots 81 in U.S. Open qualifier
Charlie Woods failed to advance in a U.S. Open local qualifying event Thursday, shooting a 9-over 81 at Legacy Golf & Tennis Club.
$70M Lotto Max winners kept prize a secret from family for 2 months
During a special winner celebration near their hometown, Doug and Enid shared the story of how they discovered they were holding a Lotto Max ticket worth $70 million and how they kept this huge secret for so long.
Trump's lawyers grill ex-tabloid publisher as 1st week of hush money trial testimony nears a close
After prosecutors' lead witness painted a tawdry portrait of “catch-and-kill” tabloid schemes, defence lawyers in Donald Trump's criminal trial on Friday sought to dig into an account of the former publisher of the National Enquirer and his efforts to protect Trump from negative stories during the 2016 election.