On June 7, 2018, Ontarians head to the polls to elect the next provincial government. The OCFP - in partnership with the College of Family Physicians of Canada - asked Ontario's three political parties with members sitting in the last legislature to identify how they will support family physicians if elected.
There is much discussion in this election campaign about important health care issues such as wait times, hallway medicine, long-term care beds, and the long-awaited agreement between the OMA and the government. We wanted to delve into a few areas that are not receiving as much of the spotlight - topics that have been highlighted by you through our recent member research. They are:
- A family doctor for every Ontarian
- Mental health and addiction care and access to services
- Equitable access to team-based care, based on the vision of the Patient's Medical Home (PMH)
- Rural and remote support
- The health of Indigenous people and other marginalized populations.
Spotlight on Health Care: Ontario Election at a Glance reflects the responses we received directly from the Liberals and the NDP, as well as any related public announcements the OCFP and CFPC reviewed from the PCs, Liberals, and NDP. The PCs formally declined to complete the questionnaire. On the five issues, the parties' responses/announcements have been summarized, followed by our commentary.
This election report is a part of the OCFP's recent advocacy efforts for members. In late April, Dr. Glenn Brown, President and Leanne Clarke, CEO met with a number of MPPs from all political parties. Messages delivered included: reinforcing the need to have resources available in primary care for family physicians managing patients with complex clinical issues such as mental illness, pain and additions; providing supports for family physicians who want to engage in practice improvement; and ensuring family physicians can practice in models that include features of the Patient's Medical Home, such as team-based care.
Additionally, as noted in our May eNews, the OCFP was a partner with the OMA, Canadian Association of Retired Persons (CARP), Association of Family Health Teams of Ontario (AFHTO), patient groups and others in a health care debate hosted by Libby Znaimer's 'Fight Back' show. You can view the debate by clicking here.
Post-election, we will be actively connecting with newly-elected MPPs to continue to advocate for the vital role of family physicians in our health care system.
Links
Spotlight on Health Care: Ontario Election at a Glance
Video: Health care debate hosted by Libby Znaimer