Mr. Dufour.
Evidence of meeting #14 for Health in the 40th Parliament, 2nd session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was physicians.
A recording is available from Parliament.
Evidence of meeting #14 for Health in the 40th Parliament, 2nd session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was physicians.
A recording is available from Parliament.
Physician, As an Individual
I would just like to ask if there is any national approach to education, because part of the equation here is demand. The other part of it is supply. When we have large numbers of people seeking to increase health care more and more, there are many things that they can do as individuals through the education system. I know that's provincial, but is there any program nationwide to educate people, not in terms of the shortages, but in terms of first aid, in terms of care that they can provide—
Physician, As an Individual
Self-care, yes. Again, I understand that health is provincial, but is there any national plan for something like that?
Director General, Health Care Policy Directorate, Strategic Policy Branch, Department of Health
I'm not personally aware of any federal investment in education at the level of self-care and first aid, but I'd hasten to add that through the Public Health Agency of Canada—I can't speak to the details, not being from that organization--there are obviously a whole range of health promotion and health prevention initiatives. I apologize that I can't give a more precise answer, but I don't know the programs well enough.
Liberal
Carolyn Bennett Liberal St. Paul's, ON
B.C. had a really nice one that had a chance of rolling out across the country. We should look at it.
Conservative
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Joy Smith
Okay, I just wanted to give you the opportunity.
We'll now go to Ms. McLeod.
Conservative
Cathy McLeod Conservative Kamloops—Thompson—Cariboo, BC
Thank you, Madam Chair. I didn't think we were going to get this far.
My take-home so far from the discussions that we've had is that first of all, I don't think we've had near enough opportunity to hear from Shelagh Woods. The whole aboriginal issue probably has its own context, which we need to perhaps look at in the future.
Obviously, we haven't had nearly enough time to talk about the opportunity for technology to support human resource issues, for primary care teams to support human resource issues, and what incentives will actually be effective in terms of human resource issues and maintaining our practice professionals.
I had the opportunity to go to a conference in Clearwater, British Columbia, on health human resources. They had the Minister of Health there, and Health Match B.C., and the academic institutes. It was funny, because it seemed they were completely disconnected from the thought that the federal government had any role to play. That was quite interesting for me.
When I listened to the Minister of Health for B.C., it was about having new seats and really getting things together, and then when you talk to the CMA, it's that the residency seats just aren't there. So there's that disconnect--which you suggested is a huge issue--in terms of medical residency seats.
To get to a question, Carol White spoke about the interprovincial mobility as of April 1. I was just wanting to understand a few more details. Right now, can an RN in Ontario immediately go to B.C.? Can a doctor? I would presume nurse practitioners can't, because there are varying standards. Could you tell me more about that?
Director General, Labour Market Integration, Department of Human Resources and Skills Development
Actually, we brought Brendan Walsh with us, who is our special advisor on labour mobility. He'd be happy to respond to your questions.
Brendan Walsh Manager, Labour Mobility, Department of Human Resources and Skills Development
I guess the short answer is that we're getting there. With the new agreement, the new chapter for labour mobility, that is one of the objectives of the agreement, that if you're certified in a regulated profession in one province, you're to be certified in another.
I think we'll start to see the outcomes of that commitment happening over the coming weeks and months as provinces, with this date of April 1, make the decision for each of the professions that they regulate on whether they will recognize people from other provinces or not.
There are some allowances in the agreement that will allow a province to take an exception against recognizing workers, but we're confident that given the high degree of commonality in standards across Canada, most of the professions you mentioned will see their workers be certified either immediately, in most provinces, or over the coming weeks and months as provinces each make that decision.
Conservative
Cathy McLeod Conservative Kamloops—Thompson—Cariboo, BC
So if you're nursing in Ontario, it would be perhaps simply a matter of a quick registration with the college in British Columbia.
Manager, Labour Mobility, Department of Human Resources and Skills Development
That's right. You'd still have to be registered and certified in the other province, but it should effectively be seamless, without any delays, additional costs, or reassessment, unless a province can prove that there is a need for that because of a broader scope of practice.
Conservative
Physician, As an Individual
I would love nothing better than to go back and help my colleagues in Prince Albert once in a while, because I still have a fondness for that area, that practice, and that style of practice. The barrier used to be recognition, and it is no longer; they recognize my credentials here and in Saskatchewan.
But there's another barrier. If I want to go and work a one-week relief in my former community of Prince Albert, I have to pay for a full-year licence with the college. I don't get a prorated one-week licence; I pay a full year's licence. Guess what? I'm not going to go. I would have to go for at least three months to make it worth while. That's been a barrier.
I don't know if I'm allowed, Madam Chair, to ask through you to Mr. Walsh—
Conservative
