Plan upholds principles of Canada Health Act; rejects private, parallel system
WINNIPEG – Conservative leader Stephen Harper and health critic Steven Fletcher today announced that a new Conservative government will work with the provinces to develop a Health Care Guarantee that ensures patients receive essential medical treatment within clinically acceptable waiting times.
The guarantee is a positive, forward-looking plan to protect Canada’s public health care system while complying with the principles of the Canada Health Act, treating all patients equally for essential health care services regardless of ability to pay, and maintaining a single-payer, publicly funded health care system.
“There will be no private, parallel system,” Harper said.
“Despite the denials of the Liberal government, reforms have been taking place — especially in alternative, private delivery of publicly insured services. We can and will achieve better results for patients and maintain the essentials of our system of public health insurance while maintaining our universal public health care system.”
The concept of the Guarantee is that patients must be able to receive treatment in a medically acceptable maximum time for a publicly insured service. If this is not available in their own area, they must be given the option of receiving treatment at another hospital or clinic, even outside of their home province. Since the Liberals took power, the average waiting time for treatment has almost doubled, to 18 weeks.
The Patient Wait Times Guarantee will be based on the recommendation of the bi partisan Senate committee chaired by Michael Kirby and Marjory LeBreton, with the key contribution of Dr. Wilbert Keon. It will fulfill the commitment that federal and provincial governments made last year when they agreed to establish maximum acceptable waiting times for key treatments and procedures and then meet those standards — but the Conservative plan will be implemented right away, not delayed until December 2007. The plan also responds to the Supreme Court of Canada decision in the Chaoulli case.
“Clearly and unequivocally embracing the Patient Wait Times Guarantee is the only way governments can preserve both the principles of the Canada Health Act and the Charter of Rights,” Harper said.
Harper referred to successive promises made by the Liberals in the 2003 Health Accord and the 2004 Health Accord, and more that they will make during this campaign. “It’s time to stop promising and start delivering,” Harper said. “A list of promises no more constitutes treatment than a waiting list constitutes treatment.”
A new Conservative government will also increase the number of doctors and nurses by working with the provinces and territories to expand educational programs for health care professionals. Currently, 1.2 million Canadians don’t have a family doctor.
“We must also be candid about the enormity of the challenge. Protecting public health care is a difficult and challenging task,” Harper said. “Paul Martin likes to talk about a quick fix for a generation. Canadians now know there’s no such thing as a quick fix for health care.”
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For further information: Conservative Party Press Office (613) 755-2191
