Drummond Commission - "Family Health Teams should become the norm for primary care"

"Family Health Teams should become the norm for primary care"

The statement above appears on p.24 of the 543-page Drummond Commission report, released this afternoon. Consuming over 40% of the province’s budget, health care receives much attention in this report (pp.145-202). There are a number of recommendations that are specific to FHTs/primary care, and are pasted below.

AFHTO welcomes Ontario’s focus on family and community care

Primary care is fundamental to the health of patients and our health system. Family Health Teams have been working hard to innovate, to improve care, and from that, to improve health. For this reason, AFHTO is pleased to see the Ontario Government is placing “Family Health Care at the Centre of the System”.

AFHTO response to Globe and Mail comment about FHTs

On January 17, Globe and Mail columnist Adam Radwanski wrote about the upcoming MOHLTC-OMA negotiations, focusing on costs and value for money (echoing the Auditor General of Ontario’s report). Unfortunately he used the term “family health team” when he was refering to physicians in capitated models in his statement, “The province will continue trying to get more family doctors away from fee-for-service.

AFHTO’s submission to Drummond Commission on Broader Public Sector Reform

AFHTO was invited to present to the Commission on Broader Public Sector Reform, chaired by economist Don Drummond and announced in the 2011 Ontario Budget speech last spring.  The Commission is to report in early 2012, in time to inform development of Government’s 2012-13 Budget, on its mandate to examine long-term, fundamental changes to the way government works including:

Changes to Nurse Practitioners’ practice

Changes to Nurse Practitioners’ (NPs) practice resulting from legislative amendments will take effect on Oct. 1, 2011; therefore, the College of Nurses of Ontario has released a new Nurse Practitioner practice standard, which includes new expectations for NP practice. Visit www.cno.org/np to download a copy of the new practice standard and to read other information related to the changes to NP practice, including frequently asked questions and NP practice resources.