Saint John family doctor calls for education, changes to health care

Dr. MikeSimon, afamily doctor in Saint John,said he feels the the province's recent health deal with the federal government gives New Brunswick less bargaining power because it broke rank with the other provinces and negotiated its own deal.

Simon said the $230 million negotiated for home care and mental health over 10 yearsis not a huge amount of money to get.

"Being a small province with an aging population, I feel we are not looking at other waysto finance the system, being more inventive," said Simon.

Simon said the way the deal is being presented - with the extra $23 million a year - is misleading. After looking at New BrunswickHealth Council data from 2013-14, the total public health expenditures which is health and part of social development totalled$3.39 billion, 49 per cent of the provincial budget.

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"So looking at $23million versus $3.39billion it's really not a large percentage," said Simon.

"What I see coming down from the medical side of things is huge increase in costs of hospitalizations, increasing medication costs, more and varied treatments available to people to treat them, aging population with more infirmities, COPD, heart disease, strokes ecetera."

Simon said he was hopeful there was going to be more money coming but after seeing Nova Scotia and Newfoundland and Labrador make deals, he's less inclined to believe it.

Not enough money

Simon said he finds it frustrating to see the government continuing to throw money at a system that has an insatiable appetite.

"You cannot possibly give it enough money even if you had the resources to fill the system."

Simon said unless there is innovative solutionsfound to help deal with the aging population and chronic diseases then there will be a continual want for more money.

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The family doctor said people need to be educated.

"That limitless medicare card that we have, that credit card that we all have, we've got to have more respect for it, we just can't use it willy nilly," said Simon.

Simon suggested people should be taught how much it costs to go to a family doctor versus going to the emergency room, the costs of tests, and more.

"Make people aware and maybe we'll get more responsible use," said Simon.

Simon said doctors themselves need education and shouldn't be ordering extra tests.

"Make them aware there is a huge certain percentage, some people say 20 per cent, of unneccessary tests investigations going on. Can we cut it there?"

Unpopular ideas

When it was suggested his ideas might be unpopular, Simon said, "what's unpopular is waiting a year and a half in a hospital for a nursing home bed."

"What's unpopular is waiting a year and a half to get a scope done...or waiting a year to get their joint replaced. I think that's unpopular."

Simon said if people were aware of the cost and the small part they could do to help save money, then they'd appreciate the health care system more.

The family doctor said government needs to step out of its comfort zone and start making changes or the wait times will only increase.

"What will the next generation have to put up with that we didn't. If we don't make the changes it's going to continue to go down that road of longer and longer waits which translates into less care and poor care," said Simon.