Canadians to Prime Minister Harper:
Don't Forget about Healthcare

Toronto, ON - While Prime Minister Harper has been focusing his government's efforts on the economy, a new Ipsos Reid poll conducted on behalf of the Canadian Medical Association has revealed that Canadians don't want the Prime Minister to forget about healthcare.

In a recent response to a reporter who asked about the renewal of the Health Accord with the provinces, the Prime Minister said that, for the time being, the priority of his government is the economy. But seven in ten (71%) Canadians believe that the federal government should be equally focused on health care and the economy. Just one in ten (13%) believe that the federal government's priority should be the economy, similar to the proportion (16%) that thinks the government's primary focus should be healthcare.

The fact that most Canadians want to see the government continue to focus on healthcare initiatives, despite the shaky economy, is likely due to most (86%) `agreeing' (39% strongly/47% somewhat) that `despite the fact that governments say that they have been working to fix the healthcare system', they don't `see any real solutions being put forward'. Just one in ten (14%) `disagree' (1% strongly/12% somewhat) with this notion.

Furthermore, nine in ten (87%) `agree' (38% strongly/49% somewhat) that `the best way to find solutions for fixing healthcare is to engage Canadians in a national dialogue about what they want from the healthcare system', something that has yet to be done on a wide-scale basis. Moreover, eight in ten (80%) `agree' (34% strongly/45% somewhat) that `governments should not make any significant changes to our healthcare system without first holding in-depth consultations with Canadians', suggesting that these consultations ought to be a priority on the government's healthcare agenda.

Canadians generally perceive that the government's attempts to fix the healthcare system are insufficient, with most (82%) `agreeing' (41% strongly/41% somewhat) that these attempts have had little impact on ensuring that all Canadians have access to a family physician', and eight in ten (84%) `agreeing' (42% strongly/42% somewhat) that these attempts have done little to `ensure that all Canadians have timely access to advanced diagnostic tests and surgical procedures'. In fact, Canadians are almost unanimous (92%) that there is a lot of talk and little action, `agreeing' (49% strongly/42% somewhat) that `decision makers in Canada have spent a lot of time talking about the healthcare system but no one seems to be able to fix it', and that `it is time to involve Canadians in the process in order to put forward some practical solutions for real change'.

It has been suggested that the provinces need to be more innovative in managing the costs of healthcare in their provinces. For example, all provinces could work together and use their collective purchasing power to buy medicines from the pharmaceutical companies which would provide economies of scale and lower costs. In this regard, nearly nine in ten (86%) Canadians `agree' (41% strongly/45% somewhat) that `the provincial governments can work together to manage healthcare dollars more effectively'. Still, some (14%) are more pessimistic, `disagreeing' (3% strongly/11% somewhat) that the provinces will be able to work together in this manner.

These are some of the findings of an Ipsos Reid poll conducted between August 16 and 17, 2010, on behalf of the Canadian Medical Association. For this survey, a sample of 1,015 adults from Ipsos' Canadian online panel was interviewed online. Weighting was then employed to balance demographics and ensure that the sample's composition reflects that of the adult population according to Census data and to provide results intended to approximate the sample universe. A survey with an unweighted probability sample of this size and a 100% response rate would have an estimated margin of error of +/-3.1 percentage points, 19 times out of 20, of what the results would have been had the entire population of adults in Canada been polled. All sample surveys and polls may be subject to other sources of error, including, but not limited to coverage error, and measurement error.

For more information on this news release, please contact:
Mike Colledge
President
Ipsos Reid Public Affairs
(613) 688-8971
[email protected]

About Ipsos Reid

Ipsos Reid is Canada's market intelligence leader, the country's leading provider of public opinion research, and research partner for loyalty and forecasting and modelling insights. With operations in eight cities, Ipsos Reid employs more than 600 research professionals and support staff in Canada. The company has the biggest network of telephone call centres in the country, as well as the largest pre-recruited household and online panels. Ipsos Reid's marketing research and public affairs practices offer the premier suite of research vehicles in Canada, all of which provide clients with actionable and relevant information. Staffed with seasoned research consultants with extensive industry-specific backgrounds, Ipsos Reid offers syndicated information or custom solutions across key sectors of the Canadian economy, including consumer packaged goods, financial services, automotive, retail, and technology & telecommunications. Ipsos Reid is an Ipsos company, a leading global survey-based market research group.

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