Defend Public Healthcare

New research from St, Michael's Hospita l in Toronto suggests that more than two-thirds of paramedics have experienced verbal, physical or sexual abuse on the job. "EMS providers can experience violence in the workplace as they perform their jobs in unpredictable environments and near people in crisis," said Blair Bigham, the lead investigator. "Anecdotal reports and workplace safety records have highlighted cases of verbal, physical and sexual abuse, yet until now, there has been little scientific research. More research is needed to understand the impact of this workplace violence." The study found: Verbal abuse was reported by 67.4 per cent of EMS workers surveyed.  Intimidation was reported by 41.5 per cent.  Physical abuse was reported by 26.1 per cent.  Sexual harassment was reported by 13.6 per cent.  Sexual assault was reported by 2.7 per cent. Patients, or patient family and friends were the most common perpetrator. The study was based

British charities have warned that people's fears over losing their jobs and homes have fuelled a massive 20 per cent jump in the number of people suffering from mental health problems in 2011. And the  British National Health Service has reported that nearly 10 million more prescriptions were issued for anti-depressants in England than at the start of the crisis in 2007, a 28 per cent rise.  Mental health charities said the stress of recent years means more people are experiencing mental health problems. At the same time, British public health care is being squeezed.   Is the same true on this side of the pond? I haven't seen the figures -- but  I wouldn't be surprised. 

The Toronto Star concludes an editorial on the Ornge affair (where the Star revealed that the top boss of the air ambulance was raking in an incredible $1.4 million annually) that Ornge should be more accountable to the public. ...Ontarians deserve more transparency and accountability from an entity that runs largely on $150 million of taxpayer funds and provides a vital service. At a time when the health system is under financial pressure, we need to know that public money is being properly spent. Quite right.   But the excuse used for not revealing the enormous pay out was that Ornge (a not-for-profit entity expected to report its top salaries to the public) had set up for-profit entities.  The Star does not mention that many, many totally for-profit outfits get bags of money to provide public services and are under no obligation to report publicly.   What about them?  Don't we also "need to know that public money is being properly spent"?

Last night Andrew Lansley, the British health minister, condemned the high fees charged by private corporations to do basic repair work in public private partnership (P3) hospitals.   P3s allow private corporations to become involved in the financing and maintenance of hospitals.   Ontario has followed Britain into using P3s for hospital projects. Lansley told the Telegraph : "[Hospitals are] being forced to spend extortionate sums on private contractors rather than spending that money on helping sick patients get better." The Telegraph (a conservative newspaper) reports that a series of Freedom of Information requests has disclosed how hospitals that are locked into long term P3 deals are forced to pay “hyper-inflated” charges for basic services.  Figures uncovered by the Telegraph show the following examples of charges from private corporations that won P3 hospital contracts: North Staffordshire hospital paid £242 to put on  a padlock North Cumbria University Hospi

The Toronto Star reports that the Drummond Commission is looking at the Saskatchewan hospital closures of the 1990s as a model of reform, with the support of the Minister of Finance, funding hawk Dwight Duncan. Next month, the treasurer will get some political cover from a commission engineering a massive overhaul of Ontario government services, headed by influential economist Don Drummond. Health care is at the top of the hit list. After working on two recent studies of health-care inefficiencies, Drummond's reform agenda is no secret: reintegrating the system; and reallocating more money to health promotion, community care, home care and long-term care.... They are also looking at a far more painful and protracted restraint exercise, one that gets relatively little attention: In the early 1990s, Saskatchewan's new NDP government faced a financial reckoning when credit rating agencies started downgrading the province's debt. Then-premier Roy Romanow resolved to close

The Conservative federal government has taken advantage of their majority status and announced that they will reduce funding increases to the provinces for health care in the years ahead. A smart move on their part -- the Conservatives don't like public health care much, so it is no surprise they don't want to fund it.  They have done little or nothing to enforce the Canada Health Act and only announced that they would maintain Canada Health Transfer funding increases in the face of an electoral 'gun' (when they hurriedly made up health care funding policy during the  election, after the opposition made health care funding an election issue).   And they no doubt are hoping that perceptions about the economy and the fact that they are years from the next election will allow them to slip this through. But the economy may well improve and an election will come before the Conservatives cut the funding.  So our day may come... CUPE has  called for  a collaborative app

Star columnist  Martin Cohn reports that the Drummond Commission into Ontario public sector reform has taken a major interest in the thoughts  of the Ontario Hospital Association. The OHA reportedly claimed to Drummond that " Ontario's current situation is much more challenging than in the 1990s...   With regard to hospitals specifically, the current situation is much more difficult than in the past. " Cohn concludes:  The government could save billions with coordinated strategies to  avoid  institutionalized care for the frail elderly, for example with homemaker services. That's why the OHA suggested to Drummond that  funding  for community care, mental health and addiction services should increase by 5.5 per cent - far more than now budgeted. Where would the money come from? This is where the big hospitals are showing leadership by sticking up for the little guys - likely at their own expense: " Given that this sector has the smallest overall budget