Competition for home care contracts blocks information sharing and coordination — OHC

Posted on October 6, 2011 | Leave a comment

The Executive Director of the Ontario Home Care Association recently wrote to the Toronto Star making claims about home care agencies being more accountable and transparent. Sue VanderBent also says home care agencies have better client service indicators than ever before. Of course, those who are having difficulty accessing home care in Ontario may beg to differ on the question of access and quality. Natalie Mehra, Executive Director of the Ontario Health Coalition replies to VanderBent below:

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OPSEU Diablogue easier to reach

Posted on October 6, 2011 | Leave a comment

OPSEU’s Diablogue, which provides ongoing commentary and news about Ontario’s health care system, is now easier to reach.

The BLOG has a simper URL to remember: http://diablogue.org

The BLOG works well on mobile media too. Download our QR code and scan it on your iPhone, Blackberry or other mobile devices.

QR codes are a kind of bar code that allows you to access our BLOG quickly by scanning it on your mobile device.

OPSEU health care locals will be sent fridge-magnets later this month with the new address and QR codes. Put it on your filing cabinet or your fridge and be sure to come back.

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Voter turnout and the value we place on government

Posted on October 6, 2011 | Leave a comment

The federal Conservative majority elected in May was a surprise to many when polls had shown the NDP and Conservatives neck-and-neck in the days prior to the election.

When EKOS Research looked at how they could get the polling outcome so wrong, they came to the conclusion that their polling was right but their forecasting was wrong given the very substantial difference in turnout among age groups.

Among non-voters, EKOS shows the NDP paid the heaviest price, with 32.1 per cent of non-voters supporting the party compared to slightly less than 25 per cent for the Liberals and Tories.

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Hearings begin on Ford complaint against anti-poverty doctor

Posted on October 5, 2011 | 3 comments

Toronto Mayor Rob Ford thinks doctors and others in the “medical field” should not be advocates for the poor, even though the social determinants of health are a key factor in an individual’s wellness.

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Health care and Andrea Horwath’s hair – the election winds down

Posted on October 5, 2011 | Leave a comment

It’s not even election day and the media has already begun navel gazing about why voters ignored the platforms and got hung up on the minutiae of the horse race. The National Post is doing so by trying to analyse the content of Twitter posts. Do they really think this represents the views of typical Ontarians?

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Study reignites controversy over cancer risk of shift work

Posted on October 4, 2011 | Leave a comment

A Danish study recently published in the European Journal of Cancer will add new fuel to the controversy around the health impacts of shift work.

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Hudaks says he may legislate public sector wage freezes

Posted on October 3, 2011 | Leave a comment

While Tim Hudak talks about making life more affordable for Ontarians, clearly he isn’t thinking about families that rely on public sector wages.

Canadian Press reported Friday that Hudak would not rule out using legislation to enforce a public-sector wage freeze.

Hudak said that such legislation would only be used as a “last resort” in the event that union demands become “unreasonable.”

“If these groups are not responsible, you have to consider any tool at your disposal,” he told CP.

The Supreme Court of Canada has ruled that unionized public sector workers have a right to collective bargaining, making it unlikely that Hudak’s legislation would hold up to a challenge.

While Hudak cries poor when it comes to public sector wages, he plans on spending $3.5 billion over four years on new tax cuts.

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Libertarian believes in survival of the fittest

Posted on September 30, 2011 | 1 comment

Libertarians don’t believe in public health care. Now at least one candidate says he believes in a survival of the fittest policy for government.

“For us human species to survive, not every member has to live,” Libertarian candidate Darcy Neal Donnelly said September 28th at a Cornwall all-candidate forum.

According to the Cornwall Standard Freeholder, Donnelly went on to call people waiting in hospitals for long term care “dead weight” amid boos from the audience. Donnelly is a candidate in the riding of Stormont Dundas South Glengarry.

Donnelly later apologized after making a comment about Liberal candidate Mark MacDonald’s 84-year old mother.

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Election 2011: Funding restraint ahead for health care

Posted on September 30, 2011 | Leave a comment

In 2011-12 health care represents an expenditure of $47.1 billion on a $124 billion annual budget – an increase of $2.1 billion over 2010-11.

No matter which party gets elected, we can expect annual increases substantially below $2 billion. This will add considerable stress to the existing system. Any promise of new investments should be seen in this context. This may also be the reason why candidates have been so reluctant to talk about health care.

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Tax cuts or health care?

Posted on September 28, 2011 | Leave a comment

During the leader’s election debate September 27 NDP Leader Andrea Horwath repeated the phrase “blank cheque” when it came to corporate taxes.

The NDP want to roll back recent corporate tax cuts to 14 per cent. The Tories and Liberals favour a 10 per cent rate.

The NDP argue that nothing has been required of corporations for the tax cuts.

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