Health in the News

A provincial report based on surveys from 57 New Brunswick nursing homes found that most want more staffing, along with modernized security systems and clearer protocols for residents with aggressive or complex behavioural conditions. The review…

New Brunswick’s Virtual Care NB service launched on June 30, offering video, telephone and chat consultations seven days a week from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. The province says the bilingual service is intended for people without a primary care provider…

The strategy aims to drive productivity and innovation, improve food affordability and food system resilience and support independent grocers, while also providing $20 million to food banks and community food organisations through the Local Food…

The Canadian Substance Use Costs and Harms Healthcare 2017-24 report found nearly 300,000…

Alberta says it is working to improve access to cancer care through a new 10-year strategic plan, its first such document since 2013, as rising cancer cases and system strain increase pressure on services. The province said only 54% of the top…

Across Canada, people are waiting months for medical appointments at dermatologists, including skin checks, mole removals, eczema and psoriasis. The Canadian Dermatology Association (CDA) reports the wait times are due to multiple factors,…

Alberta’s government paused its ambulance contract strategy for seven municipalities with integrated fire and ambulance services after introducing a benchmark price in March that would have reduced provincial funding for some communities. The…

The investment into the health data platform will securely connect de-identified near-real-time clinical data from hospitals across Canada. The platform is intended to create the country's largest hospital data network, giving researchers access…

The Government of Saskatchewan signed the nurse practitioner (NP) primary care contracts in Regina as part of its Patients First Health Care Plan. The province also removed the cap on NP contracts and changed rules in May to let nurse…

The federal government introduced a 10-hour annual cap on mental health sessions for asylum seekers and refugee claimants under the Interim Federal Health Program, alongside a 30% copayment for supplemental benefits such as dental care, optometry…

The increase in specialist wait-lists was reported in a survey by Doctors of B.C. and Consultant Specialists of B.C., adding to a backlog that reached 1.2 million British Columbians waiting to see a specialist in 2024. Consultant Specialists of B…

Horizon Health Network says patients in active labour who are diverted from disrupted labour services at Upper River Valley Hospital should not drive themselves to another hospital as previously directed. Instead, the network is organizing and…

Alberta’s government announced that beginning in Sept., physicians who provide publicly funded services will also be allowed to privately bill patients for surgeries under a dual practice model. United Nurses of Alberta President Heather Smith…

The 77 positions include nurses, licensed practical nurses, medical radiation technologists, combined lab and x-ray technicians and phlebotomists, to fill existing part-time vacancies or establish new roles. The initiative is funded through…

The federal government is allocating $2.8 million from the Emergency Treatment Fund to address the overdose crisis in Atlantic Canada, including projects in Fredericton and Miramichi. The funding will support local initiatives such as expanding…

As the premiers meet in Ontario, the Canadian Medical Association and the Canadian Nurses Association are urging provincial leaders to keep health system reform as part of the discussions, despite the focus on economic issues. The groups are…