Health
Care Organizations Agree on Directions to Address Physician Shortages
February
1, 2006 (OTTAWA) – More than 130 delegates from 60 government and health
organizations gathered for a National Conference on Physician Human
Resources from January 22 to 24, 2006 and agreed on three strategic
directions that require immediate action to address physician shortages in
Canada. The official statement from the Conference (see attached) calls
for a new national body to coordinate and improve physician human resource
planning in Canada; various measures to ensure Canadians reap the full
benefits of new ways to deliver health care using teams of various
professionals working together; and improved and ongoing research to
monitor the demand for, and supply of physicians in Canada to avoid future
surpluses or shortages.
“When
more than 60 government and health organizations from across this country
agree on solutions, it sends a clear signal to all players in the health
care system that the time to act on shortages of health professionals is
now,” says Dr. Hugh Scully, Communications Co-Chair of Task Force Two,
the body responsible for the Conference and for three years of research
and consultation that preceded it. “All delegates agreed that the
strategic directions we’ve developed are sound and the momentum we’ve
built over the last three years simply cannot be lost.”
The
National Conference was the largest ever of its kind in Canada and brought
together a historic coalition of organizations from all levels of
government, various health professions and other key players in Canada’s
health care system. In workshops and plenary sessions, delegates assessed
and openly discussed strategic
directions in five theme areas: 1)
Educating and training physicians; 2) Working in teams with other health
professionals; 3) Licensure, regulatory issues and liability; 4)
Recruiting and retaining physicians; and 5) Improving medical
infrastructure and technology.
The
three-year multi-phase initiative is one of the Government of Canada’s
sector studies in health. Task Force Two's $4.8 million budget is funded
by the Government of Canada's Sector Council Program, Health Canada and
the medical community ($1.6 million of cash and in-kind contributions).
See
attached statement from the National Conference or go to http://www.physicianhr.ca/mediaRoom/newsReleases-e.php
