"Ontario's doctors have put forward several ideas around improving efficiency and boosting quality of health care services to patients," added Dr. Haggie. "They have much more to offer and now is no time for the government to turn its back on the role physicians can play in advancing the cause of improving care for their patients."
Over the course of the past year, Dr. Haggie has reached out to governments at all levels, urging them to pursue a principled-based approach to transforming the health care system so that it puts patients first. The Ontario health minister has also cited the need for health care transformation, going back as far as 2010, when she lauded proposals made for transformation put forward by Canada's doctors and shared them with counterparts at a meeting of federal, provincial and territorial health ministers.
"Every player in the health care system must be engaged in bringing about the transformational changes so desperately needed," said Dr. Haggie. "Seeking to impose change and taking a dictatorial approach is not the answer because engagement and buy-in is critical to creating a high-performing health care system."
Dr. Haggie added that Ontario's doctors have worked with government to identify solutions that would both save money and provide higher quality care to Ontario residents.
"We know that the Ontario government has championed the need for transforming health care so that it puts patients first," said Dr. Haggie. "It's baffling that the Ontario government would now ignore the opportunity to collaborate with physicians on finding efficient ways to provide high-quality health care."
