N.S. premier says 'fearmongering' misplaced over privatization of health care

Premier Tim Houston says he's concerned about "fearmongering" around conversations about leaning on private health-care providers to ease the burden on the public health-care system in the province.

Following a cabinet meeting Wednesday, Houston told reporters that the province was "committed" to strengthening the public health-care system.

"I'm not really interested in, or distracted by, the fearmongering that takes place," said Houston, adding that he was not concerned that a growing private health-care sector could suck resources from its public counterpart. 

"The reality is we're focused on making sure Nova Scotians can access the care they need, when they need it and where they need it," he said. "The so-called 'slippery-slope argument' that once we start trickling into the private system … I just don't see it, I don't see Nova Scotia being on that slope, so I won't even speculate on whether it's a risk or not."

This comes as Health Minister Michelle Thompson revealed last week the province was considering an expansion of the private health-care system to ease the burden on the province's surgical backlog.

On Wednesday, Thompson again pointed to partnerships the province already has with private health-care providers, such as one with Dartmouth-based Scotia Surgery, a private clinic that performs elective and outpatient surgeries.

"It really is a public-private partnership that allows us to increase capacity," Thompson said of the province's surgical backlog.

"We have a number of surgeons, as an example, who are always looking for more time. If there's an opportunity for us to do some of these low-acuity surgeries outside of that system with public funds and it allows us to free up more time in the OR for more complex surgeries that need to be hospitalized, then we want to do that."

"Every stone will be uncovered as we work toward being innovative around those surgical wait-lists," Thompson said.

'Remains a concern' for NDP

Nova Scotia NDP Leader Claudia Chender said on Wednesday the possibility of a private system overtaking the public one is always present.

"To indicate that there is no slide toward private health care is to willingly ignore the evidence," Chender said.

"When we say that we're concerned about a slip into private health care, what we're talking about is all of the existing ways in which people are right now paying to access health care," she added, pointing to the private, subscription-based clinic that recently opened in Dartmouth as an example.

"That includes the private clinic that's opened in Dartmouth, telemedicine and other ways in which Nova Scotians now, if they have the means, can pay for health care that others can't," she said. "That remains a concern for us."

Liberal Leader Zach Churchill said he was not assured by Houston's comments.

"One of the biggest issues we're having in health care right now is a labour shortage, so if you create a private health-care delivery system, undoubtedly I believe that is going to siphon more staff out of our public health-care system and make the labour shortage worse in health care," Churchill said. "I think you're creating a very big risk."