Duclos optimistic over ‘change in tone’ from provinces on health funding deal – National | 24CA News

A determined “change in tone” over the previous few weeks has introduced Ottawa nearer than ever to reaching a deal that may finish a standoff between premiers and the federal authorities over health-care funding, says Health Minister Jean-Yves Duclos.

Speaking to reporters in Ottawa Friday, Duclos stated he believes an settlement might come within the weeks forward that may see extra funding circulate to the provinces for well being care in alternate for provinces and territories agreeing to numerous key situations geared toward enhancing situations for well being staff, entry to look after sufferers and the sharing of knowledge.

Duclos burdened this shall be a long-term take care of funding commitments geared toward strengthening Canada’s struggling well being system.

“I’m very optimistic… there’s been a change of tone and a change of direction in the last few weeks,” Duclos stated in French of the negotiations with the provinces.

This shift in talks occurred originally of the brand new 12 months, Duclos stated – just some weeks in spite of everything 13 of Canada’s premiers collectively threw down the gauntlet, demanding a gathering with the prime minister to hammer out a deal to extend well being funding with no strings hooked up.

“We have seen a shift towards a focus on what matters to Canadians, which are results – results for the patients and health-care workers. That’s what people want and that’s what I believe the premiers also want now,” Duclos stated Friday.

The premiers have been calling for a $28-billion improve to the Canada Health Transfer, which they are saying will convey the federal contribution towards well being prices to 35 per cent from 22 per cent presently.

Federal officers have disputed these figures, saying they don’t characterize the total scope of Ottawa’s whole funding in well being care, as tax factors to provinces and different particular bilateral offers on psychological well being and residential care usually are not being factored into the provinces’ calculations.

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Still, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has stated he’s keen to extend federal well being transfers, however provided that they comply with a set of shared priorities that may see “tangible results” for Canadians.

On Friday, Duclos stated the 5 elementary priorities for which Ottawa desires provincial buy-in embody: decreasing backlogs and supporting well being staff, enhancing entry to household medication, enhancing psychological well being providers, serving to Canadians age with dignity and agreements to modernize and share well being information.

Until now, the premiers have indicated they’ll solely speak {dollars} and cents in terms of these negotiations with Ottawa.

Last month, the premiers directed their well being ministers to not disclose optimistic progress that had been made behind closed doorways throughout a gathering of all provincial, territorial and federal well being ministers in Vancouver in early December, Duclos, who took half in these conferences, informed Global News in an interview final month.

As this political standoff was enjoying out, front-line health-care staff have been pleading for extra assets amid persistent staffing shortages and a nationwide scarcity of household medical doctors that has pressured extra Canadians to hunt care in emergency departments.

These staffing points left many well being techniques flat-footed when a trifecta of respiratory sicknesses – influenza, respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) and COVID-19 – surged abruptly by way of the autumn.

Ontario Premier Doug Ford stated Wednesday he’s keen to just accept some strings from the federal authorities if they offer the province extra health-care funding.

“There always has to be accountability,” Ford informed reporters in Toronto. “So that’s the least of our issues. Do we want a little bit of flexibility? Yeah, and I think they’re willing to do that.”

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Quebec Premier Francois Legault has been notably outspoken about not accepting any situations on health-care funding.

But he informed reporters Wednesday that Quebec and Ontario are each able to share information on their health-care techniques with the Trudeau authorities.

However, Ford stated Friday the provinces are united of their stance that they gained’t be signing particular person offers on health-care funding with the federal authorities.

“It’s not going to be a one-off for Ontario, another for someone else,” he stated. “We’ve all agreed, all the premiers, we all have to work together and stay united and that’s exactly what we’re going to do.”

Duclos wouldn’t say Friday whether or not the elevated funding Ottawa has promised will meet the 35 per cent threshold the provinces have been looking for.

He additionally sidestepped questions on whether or not any additional situations can be positioned on this funding to forestall provinces from utilizing it to pay for privatized well being providers within the wake of Ontario’s plans to spend thousands and thousands on transferring hundreds of well being procedures to personal clinics.

He did, nevertheless, notice that any province or territory that doesn’t meet its obligations beneath the Canada Health Act can face monetary penalties. Those obligations embody a stipulation that every one Canadians have equitable health-care entry.

“There are penalties that can be imposed, that have been imposed, that will be imposed, probably, in the future when those obligations are not upheld and by provinces and territories,” Duclos stated.

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“But my understanding, based on the recent conversations, is that those obligations are well understood and will be upheld by whatever changes to the system that my colleagues in the provinces and territories will want to make.”

In the meantime, Duclos stated he’s “looking forward to significant and positive developments in the weeks ahead” after many months of difficult negotiations with the provinces.

“The conversation is stronger now than it used to be just a few weeks and certainly a few months ago,” Duclos stated. “That’s great news and I’m quite optimistic it’s going to continue to move in the right direction.”

— with information from The Canadian Press

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