By The Canadian Press

Innovation, not just money, needed to fix health-care system: Philpott

Aug 23, 2016 | 3:11 PM

VANCOUVER — Health Minister Jane Philpott says the problems facing Canada’s health-care system will not be solved by just spending more money and she promises the country’s doctors that the federal government is committed to finding answers.

Philpott told the Canadian Medical Association in Vancouver today that ongoing talks about a new health agreement with the provinces and territories is an opportunity to set health care on a new course.

She says solutions can be found in encouraging better collaboration between family doctors and specialists, using digital technology to keep records and share information, and giving greater priority to the social factors that affect health, particularly among Canada’s Aboriginal Peoples.

Philpott drew applause from association members at the meeting when she said social inequity is the biggest barrier to improving the health of Canadians.

Philpott said other countries, including Britain and Australia, are getting better health-care outcomes than Canada while spending less per capita and as a percentage of GDP because they have done a better job of co-ordinating care.

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She says negotiations on a new health-care agreement are an opportunity to “trigger” innovation in order to fix the system.

The Canadian Press