News release

Business Planning Begins with District Health Authorities

Health and Wellness

The province continues to focus on delivering better care sooner while bringing unsustainable cost growth under control by providing next year's budget targets for the district health authorities and the IWK earlier.

Health and Wellness Minister Maureen MacDonald said today, Oct. 14, that government wants to allow more time for planning to allow the best decisions on how to deliver health care services across Nova Scotia.

As the district health authorities begin planning, they are expected to help implement Better Care Sooner, the plan to improve emergency care in Nova Scotia, and set aside funding for mental health care and addictions as the department prepares to release the first mental health and addictions strategy. Plans must minimize the impact on patients so quality care is maintained.

"The nine district health authorities and the IWK are demonstrating great leadership in identifying ways to find efficiencies within the health care system so that we can protect vital services to patients now and into the future," said Ms. MacDonald.

As an example, Ms. MacDonald referred to their move to increase purchasing power by greater standardizing health care supplies, which could save as much as $4.8 million without affecting patient care.

Health care funding represents 40 per cent of all provincial government spending, or $3.8 billion this year. Health care costs have doubled in the last decade, but health authorities did not receive an increase last year. For 2012-13, government is asking district health authorities and the IWK to target a three per cent reduction in spending.

Government is also planning for greater input from health care unions and physicians through Doctors Nova Scotia as it works towards a health care system that is sustainable.

"We know this is a challenge, but it is also an opportunity," said Ms. MacDonald. "We're asking our DHAs and the IWK to identify collaborative options to reduce spending and come back to us earlier in the process. Instead of looking at across-the-board reductions, we want health administrators to propose innovative ways of delivering health care.

"We have to do things differently and ask whether duplicating programs and services across the province still makes sense."

The health authorities will meet regularly with government as they work towards submitting a plan for approval before the spring budget.