For immediate release
March 20, 2018
HALIFAX – Despite the announcement of changes to physician compensation earlier in the week, the 2018 Nova Scotia budget offers no funding for major improvements to a health care system in crisis says the Nova Scotia Health Coalition.
“10 months after an election where the ongoing crisis in health care was a defining issue and we get another budget that offers no significant measures to make sure that Nova Scotians have the health care they need,” said Nova Scotia Health Coalition spokesperson Chris Parsons.
The budget includes no major new programs or major expenditures that had not previously been announced and no significant increase in core funding to critical areas like homecare and long-term care.
Continuing care, including home care and long-term care, saw an increase in budgeted funding of just 1.06%, which constitutes a decrease after inflation is taken into account.
“Patients and frontline workers know that the status quo isn’t good enough and that we need a re-investment in the system to make real improvements to end the crisis in health care. The system is at risk of drowning and this budget means it will continue to tread water. That’s not good enough,” Parsons said.
The Nova Scotia Health Coalition is a political but non-partisan coalition of individuals and organizations committed to defending, strengthening and extending public health care.
Media Inquiries:
Chris Parsons
Provincial Coordinator Nova Scotia Health Coalition
Nova Scotia Health Coalition
2099 Gottingen Street, Suite 209
Halifax, NS B3K 3B2
coordinator@nshealthcoalition.ca
As my wife & I have reached our early 70s, we are actually thinking about a move out of this province, to somewhere that can “afford” to service elderly folks. Hoping it doesn’t come to that.