“As we mark the first anniversary of the federal government's groundbreaking $200-billion deal with Canada's premiers to bolster health transfers over the next decade, it's a good time to reflect on our collective journey toward a future that is truly fit for children, youth and families.
In February 2023, the Prime Minister’s announcement of a $2 billion top-up to the Canada Health Transfer (CHT), was a long-awaited and welcomed step towards alleviating mounting pressures on our healthcare system, within pediatric hospitals and emergency rooms, but also across the continuum of care. The announcement delivered the promise of interim relief, however the reality is, one year later not much has changed.
Admissions data and first-hand reports from many of you consistently highlight ongoing pressures, in the community, and in the delivery of inpatient and outpatient hospital-based care. Pediatric intensive care units in certain jurisdictions face nearly two-to-one patient-to-bed ratios, and families in many regions endure prolonged waits for emergency care. From coast to coast, children continue to languish on wait lists for essential and time-sensitive healthcare interventions.
This situation is not sustainable, and the call to action is clear. In the year that has passed since the CHT funding was announced, only Nova Scotia and Ontario have taken measures to bolster capacity in children's health systems, creating a missed opportunity to leverage available funds for the benefit of our growing and increasingly complex population of children and youth.
The costs of inaction are staggering, as highlighted by a recent research series from Children’s Healthcare Canada and the Conference Board of Canada. The financial consequences linked to delays in children's healthcare services, whether the yearly $4 billion expenditure for children and adolescents with anxiety and depression or the projected trillion-dollar expense over a lifetime for neglecting early indications of mental health issues, are profound.
Simply put, status quo is not an option. Our historical siloed, patchwork approach to tackling the complex health and social needs of children, youth, and families is failing kids and their healthcare providers. To be clear, this is not a task for the provinces and territories alone. Federal, provincial, territorial, and Indigenous governments will be required to work alongside youth, families, and healthcare leaders, informed by research and other evidence to guide meaningful investments and collaborative action to tackle immediate pressures and increase capacity and responsiveness for future needs.
Our members have a role to play as well, designing and implementing holistic models of care that take into account mental, physical, and social healthcare needs, building partnerships that enable integrated care pathways for the most medically complex children, expanding capacity to care for children who reside in rural and remote regions, and designing transitions to adult care that match the needs of individual youth and families.
The expectations of Canadians are clear. Abacus Research conducted national polling that revealed 94 percent of Canadians agree it’s time to right-size healthcare systems for children and youth. It’s time for policy and funding to align with this level of enthusiasm.
Over the coming months, Children’s Healthcare Canada will be advancing a national campaign, in collaboration with health system partners, to advance this vision for healthcare systems designed to meet the needs of children, youth, and families. In order to realize success and co-create a future fit for kids, we will need your help.
Stay tuned for details on how you can get involved. We know you will agree that the time has come to move from advocacy to action, transforming Canada's healthcare systems to prioritize the health of our children and improve outcomes for generations to come.
Sincerely,
Email Gruenwoldt
President & CEO
Children’s Healthcare Canada”
To view the original post, please visit: A Message from Children's Healthcare Canada CEO, Emily Gruenwoldt (mailchi.mp)