Private health care not the solution for everyday families

HALIFAX – People are worried that the health care they or their loved ones need won’t be there for them when they need it most. And what is Tim Houston doing to reassure people that he will fix health care? He’s holding meetings with Ontario Premier Doug Ford who is bringing more private health care to Ontario. This is not the solution people in Nova Scotia were counting on.

“Tim Houston is not working for everyday people,” said Nova Scotia NDP Leader Claudia Chender. “Health care is worse and harder to get today because of the choices Tim Houston and the Conservatives have made. Nova Scotians came together and supported each other throughout the pandemic. They were optimistic about the future but a year in Tim Houston’s choices have left families, seniors and young people are worse off.”

Privatization is a concept ripped straight from the Conservative playbook. Doug Ford is already introducing more private health care options into Ontario and CBC reported on Friday that the Houston government is looking at private health care options for Nova Scotia.

“Families want to know that quality, accessible health care will be there for them when they need it,” said Chender. “After a year of the Houston Conservatives, more people are waiting for a family doctor, more people waiting in ERs and leaving without being seen, and more people are waiting for the surgeries they need. They can’t afford to wait any longer and they certainly can’t afford to pay out of pocket for the care they need.”

Repeatedly, studies have shown that privately funded health care doesn’t reduce wait times overall and can lead to longer waits in the public system. A review of research in Canada, the UK, and Australia found that: “Evidence indicates that privately funded health services and long public wait times go hand in hand, and that growth in private payment will do nothing to alleviate it,” wrote Dr. Vanessa Brcic.

“The Ford-Houston meeting on Sunday has a lot of people worried about what’s to come from the Houston government,” said Chender. “People are concerned that the Premier has given up on fixing our public health care system and appears ready to sell it off to the highest bidder.”

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