Terra Nova Medical Clinics’ Post

Sharing a must read take on the challenges facing Canada’s healthcare system by J. Edward Les, MD. An excerpt: “The care in Canada, if you can get it, is excellent. Canadian health care professionals are among the most highly skilled in the world. The problem is that there aren’t nearly enough of them, and they labour in a grossly inefficient bureaucracy-choked system hopelessly married to a failed model of health care delivery. To say the system is in trouble is like saying the Titanic had a small leak. A functioning universal health care system would dole out actual health care in a timely and competent manner to all citizens who need it, which it most assuredly does not do. What we have instead is a universal waiting system — a system in which patients suffer and die while waiting in vain for care. And yet Canadian medical leaders continue to double down on this colossal mess of a “system.” https://lnkd.in/gSJsENF4 #healthcare

How does Canada's universal health-care system compare with Australia's universal health-care system?

Navigator's research arm, Discover, recently conducted a survey, featured in The Globe and Mail, highlighting a significant shift in Canadian attitudes towards health care. The results show a growing demand for more choice and flexibility in the system.   Jaime Watt, Navigator’s executive chairman, notes, “This old adage that health care reform is the third rail of Canadian politics and therefore politicians shouldn’t touch it is not true. They want them to touch it, and they want to bring reform.”   Susan Innes, MBA, Navigator’s lead researcher on the study adds, “The thing that jumped out at us was people’s willingness to pay for things that were much more critical, like emergency room care.”   For more insights, read the full article here: https://lnkd.in/gsScg54E

This year’s British Social Attitudes survey showed public satisfaction with the NHS is at an all-time low. The findings reflect the mounting challenges patients face in accessing overstretched services. It's been clear to us for some time that mounting pressures in the NHS have put the relationship patients have with the services they need under huge strain. This is something we've warned about for years. That's why our general election manifesto is clear that the next Government must put patients at the heart of healthcare delivery. The next Government must take patient partnership from theory to practice. Patients must be given a greater voice in the health service by expanding formal routes for involvement in NHS structures and decision-making bodies. Only then, will it be possible to restore public confidence in the NHS and meet the nation’s health needs. https://ow.ly/Xqib50R6CUK

Prevention is better (also to invest in $€£) than Cure. Professor the Lord Darzi of Denham OM KBE PC FRS’s report on the #UK NHS’s critical condition means… … WE MUST INVEST IN ROOT CAUSE PREVENTION. - Public health inititiatives help all move & eating real - Lifestyle medicine as core to GP / Primary Care - Preventive phamacology vs chronic management - Communities of self directed healthcare - Remote, easy access, digital medicine Only this way can we afford to deliver universal excellence in hospitals for those who’ve had the worst of luck and who need it most. All these preventive medical and health optimisation areas will be the very best new domains to trial in the UK and to invest in from the public purse and by funds. Innovation and biotech will make this possible and UK #innovation is among the best in the world though all the good things have been exported to bigger markets early before benefiting the mammoth NHS and UK market broadly. In the Financial Times yesterday, “Lord Ara Darzi said that despite having worked across the NHS for over 30 years, he had been ‘shocked’ by what he uncovered during his investigation.” Leaving politics aside it’s critical to now move away from the market of managing disease as our loftiest goal into the Future of Prevention. This is also our Havas x WellFounded 2024 Leaders in Health Sunmit main theme this year. Apply now. Invite only: @https://lnkd.in/eQ49DZwS #innovation #leadership NHS Clinical Entrepreneur Programme Tony Young James O'Shaughnessy https://lnkd.in/eF85KDKs

Excellent, and thought-provoking, article on #healthcare in #Canada by Andrew Coyne. -> I do, however, think that patient cost-sharing (with protections for vulnerable populations) has an important role to play - yes, even within a universal healthcare framework. -> Our 2022 study found that [a]mong 28 OECD countries with universal health-care, Canada is only one of 6 that does not use any form of cost-sharing for core medical services, which can be used to incentivize more efficient use of scarce health resources and potentially reduce wait times. -> Notably, 8 of the 10 top-performing high-income universal health-care countries have some form of a cost-sharing arrangement - including Australia, the Netherlands, and Switzerland. https://lnkd.in/gv_5yCxq https://lnkd.in/gUNVdBEh

Find out more about the future of healthcare and how you can contribute to this insightful dialogue 👇

Too often, naive commentators call for the NHS to adopt foundational aspects of other health systems and funding models, paying little attention to cultural context, structural factors and path dependency. Max Thilo doesn't do that in this interesting paper from the Social Market Foundation. I appreciate that the paper focuses on an area where we do need new thinking, quick: primary care. I also admire its concision, restraining itself to two recommendations for the NHS: (1) to commission online Singaporean GPs, with prescribing rights, to provide additional appointment access for NHS patients (2) to have crack at polyclinics again, but with greater determination and fidelity to the care model, implemented in areas with too few GPs. This obviously isn't a complete recipe for primary care reform, but just as obviously it isn't intended to be one. https://lnkd.in/egJnk_EC

“The health care system cannot be called universal if millions cannot find a family doctor. This country does not have universal health care if routine surgical procedures routinely take far longer than the clinical guidelines.”Andre Picard In Canada, we take pride in our health care system, touting it as universal. But can we truly call it universal if nearly 6 million Canadians don’t have access to a family doctor? Is it universal when patients routinely wait 25 weeks or more for medically necessary surgeries, far exceeding clinical guidelines? Despite spending more on health care than ever before—an estimated $344 billion in 2023, representing over 12.2% of Canada’s GDP—outcomes in critical areas are worsening. Other countries, such as Australia, spend about 9.3% of GDP on health care but achieve better results. Australia boasts shorter wait times for surgeries and better access to primary care, as over 86% of Australians report having a regular doctor, compared to about 71% of Canadians. These disparities highlight that more spending alone is not the solution. So, what’s the answer? It’s not just about adding more dollars to the system but rethinking how we invest those dollars. Instead of pouring resources into expensive emergency care, we need to prioritize prevention and investments in social supports. Studies show that investing in preventive health measures can significantly reduce the need for costly acute care. Every $1 spent on mental health promotion and prevention saves $7 in long-term costs, and preventive programs targeting chronic diseases like diabetes and hypertension have been shown to save millions by reducing hospital admissions. Countries with stronger social supports and preventive care systems not only save money but also improve population health. By focusing on community-based services, mental health supports, and early interventions, Canada could tackle health issues before they escalate into crises. This shift would not only improve health outcomes but also reduce the strain on our overburdened system. #prevention #socialsupports #mentalhealth

Very interesting article! Not sure it’s a convincing comparison to achieve the same outcomes but the recommendations certainly make sense to me on improving nhs services from the position we are in now. Worth a read!