Provincial Health Council Releases Report
The Provincial Health Council released a report today that describes what Nova Scotians want from their health-care system.
The report is the result of 32 public meetings held between January and March across the province, as well as information from questionnaires, community health plans and an advisory committee. Premier John Hamm mandated the council to consult with Nova Scotians to develop a list of core clinical services to be provided the community, regional and provincial levels.
The report, titled Health for Nova Scotians, has been submitted to Minister of Health Jamie Muir and the premier.
Barbara Hart, Chairperson of the Provincial Health Council, thanked Nova Scotians for their participation in the project. She said they were very clear about what they wanted in terms of health.
"Nova Scotians told us their vision of a health care system - one that is accessible, equitable, affordable, community-based and aimed at health promotion and illness prevention," she said.
The report recommends that the government provide the instruments to encourage people to take responsibility for their own health, and that the government develop a long-term plan for health- related services. It also recommends that the government support an integrated, co-ordinated continuum of services, and that all services be provided with consideration of values, culture, language, religion, ethnicity and individual ability, among other recommendations.
The report contains a vision of health for the province and in- depth discussions about information gathered from the various sources. It also contains Nova Scotia's Health Goals, which were developed through public consultation by the former Provincial Health Council that operated from 1990 until 1995.
"It is interesting to note in reviewing the materials developed from the previous council's public consultations from 1993, held to develop Nova Scotia's Health Goals, that we found Nova Scotians were saying many of the same things then that they told us in January and February - this is not a good thing, since people do not feel they have been listened to," said Ms. Hart.
Ms. Hart also said that Nova Scotians want improved public transportation to support access to health services, community- based care, and tools and services that will allow people to take responsibility for their own health.
The report is available by contacting the Provincial Health Council at P.O. Box 2731, Halifax, Nova Scotia, B3J 3P7, by phoning 424-1639 or toll-free at 1-800-854-0815, or on-line at www.healthcouncil.ns.ca.