Tyne Valley - A new Progressive Conservative government will implement a five point plan to stabilize and strengthen the delivery of health care in rural Prince Edward Island, said Opposition Leader James Aylward.
"Our five point plan is designed to repair and revitalize rural health care services which are now broken and in upheaval. Our plan is based on months of conversations we’ve had with front line health workers and Islanders about practical solutions that will make a difference," said Aylward.
Aylward announced his rural health care plan at a news conference today held at a community pharmacy in Tyne Valley. The plan consists of five key measures:
- Improving local governance by restoring regional health boards;
- Overhauling recruitment of health professionals with greater roles for communities, the private sector and health professionals;
- Refocusing retention efforts to keep health workers working on Prince Edward Island;
- Implementing electronic health records to allow for better sharing of information between health professionals to improve care; and
- Implement a collaborative care model with expanded scope of practice to let health professionals like doctors, pharmacists, nurses, nurse practitioners, licensed practical nurses and paramedics to work to the full extent of their training to better utilize the resources that are already in the health care system.
Aylward noted that the status quo in health care isn’t working for thousands of Islanders and that the problems with rural health care delivery also impact Islanders all across the province.
“The impact of poor access to rural health care ends up being felt in overcrowded emergency rooms and walk in clinics in Charlottetown and Summerside. By strengthening rural health care we can take pressure off our main referral hospitals, improving access to care for all Islanders. Our plan will use more collaboration, expanded scope of practice, better use of technology, improved local governance and new approaches to recruitment and retention to do that,” said Aylward.
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