Steinbach MLA and Health, Seniors and Active Living Minister Kelvin Goertzen announced that the province is undertaking consultations to seek ideas and input from the public on improvements that will ensure the long-term sustainability of Manitoba’s health-care system.
“Right now, the costs of the health-care system are not sustainable and we want to hear from Manitobans about what we can do better,” said Goertzen. “We are asking Manitobans for their ideas on how we can make the right choices to be more efficient, implement cost-effective new ideas and ensure quality care is available for many years to come.”
The Manitoba government is working with the George and Fay Yee Centre for Healthcare Innovation to develop and administer surveys seeking public and health-care provider feedback as part of the Health Care Sustainability and Innovation Review.
The review is assessing spending against three criteria:
- economy (are activities implemented at a reasonable cost including the consideration of quality, per capita costs and unit costs for service delivery);
- efficiency (are the results appropriate when the investments are considered); and
- effectiveness (do actual outcomes meet the expected outcomes).
The survey feedback will be used to inform the recommendations of the review, the minister said, adding an initial report is expected by the end of January 2017.
The final report, expected later in the spring of 2017, will provide concrete recommendations with implementation plans, timelines and estimates of the savings projected as a result of successful implementation, Goertzen said.
“Every choice we make affects not only the budget, but the care available to Manitobans now and in the years ahead,” said Goertzen. “We want input from Manitobans on how health-care spending should be prioritized, what ideas should be pursued and what concerns should be addressed.”
To take the survey, visit www.gov.mb.ca./health/haveyoursay.
