HEALTHCARE IN ONTARIO

HEALTHCARE IN ONTARIO

Healthcare Top Issue In Province (62%) As Seven In Ten (71%) Indicated The System Is In Crisis - Public Split On Whether Harris Government Healthcare Reforms Will Make The System Better For The Future

However, 68 Percent Are Satisfied With Quality Of Healthcare They Have Personally Received In Past Two Years

Raising Taxes (55%) And Allowing Private Business To Operate Parts Of The Healthcare System (47%) More Acceptable Than Limiting Services (34%), Deficit Increase (34%), Or Two-Tiered Healthcare (33%) For Longer Term System Funding Squeeze

Healthcare is the most important issue facing the province according to Ontarians (62%). Further, seven in ten (71%) Ontarians say "Ontario's healthcare system is currently in a crisis" as announcements of the province's hospital emergency rooms being put on "re-direct" tops the news in recent weeks.

Indeed, six in ten (61%) Ontarians say that "the quality of healthcare in Ontario has worsened over the past couple of years". And, the public is split in their belief that "the provincial government's health reform will lead to better health services both in hospitals and in the community for themselves and future generations" (48% agree).

However, when asked about their personal experience of the healthcare system, nearly seven in ten (68%) say they are "satisfied with the quality of healthcare they have received in Ontario over the past two years". Further, the majority (55%) indicate that their "local hospital emergency room provides the services and quality of care that they would like it to".

Looking longer term, recent reports suggest that healthcare costs will make up 70 percent of the province's budget in 20 years. When provided with several options to deal with any longer term funding squeeze, raising taxes (55%) and allowing private business to operate parts of the healthcare system (47%) are more acceptable to Ontarians than limiting healthcare services (34%), allowing the deficit to increase (34%) or permitting a two-tiered system of healthcare (33%).

These are the findings of an Angus Reid Group poll conducted between December 14th and December 29th, 1999. The poll includes a randomly selected sample of 1,000 Ontarian adults and has an associated margin of error of 177 3.1 percentage points 19 times out of 20.

Healthcare - The Most Important Issue Facing the Province

Respondents are asked, "which [issue] do you feel should receive the greatest attention from Ontario's leaders. The results indicate that healthcare (62%) continues to be the most important issue facing the province, according to Ontarians. Education (49%) and poverty (25%) are also considered to be important provincial issues for our leaders to address.

Seven In Ten (71%) Ontarians Say Ontario's Healthcare System Is Currently In A Crisis

Seven in ten (71%) Ontarians agree that "Ontario's healthcare system is currently in a crisis". A plurality (~ 40%) "strongly agree" that the province's healthcare system is in a crisis and another third (~ 32%) "somewhat agree". Of those who do not believe that Ontario's healthcare system is in a crisis (28%), more "somewhat disagree" (20%) rather than "strongly disagree" (8%).

• Women (76%) are more likely than men (67%) to say the healthcare system is currently in a crisis in Ontario.
• Regionally, Ontarians living in the south western (79%) and northern (78%) areas of the province are more likely than the provincial average (71%) to indicate that there is a healthcare crisis.

Six in Ten (61%) Say "The Quality Of Healthcare In Ontario Has Worsened Over The Past Couple Of Years"

Six in ten (61%) Ontarians believe the "quality of healthcare in Ontario has worsened over the past couple of years". Another third (31%) say healthcare in Ontario has "stayed about the same", while only 7% believe it has improved.

• Ontarians who are most likely to say that the healthcare system has worsened in the past couple of years include middle aged Ontarians (35 to 54 years, 68%), the university educated (69%), and individuals in high-income households (63%).
• Regionally, residents of Hamilton/Niagara (67%) and southwestern Ontario (65%) are slightly more likely to say the healthcare system has worsened in the past couple of years.

Slightly Less than Half (48%) Say that the Government's Reforms Will Make the Healthcare System Better For Future Generations

Slightly less than half (48%) of Ontarians believe that "the provincial government's health reform will lead to better health services both in hospitals and in the community for themselves and future generations". Of those who believe this to be true, most "somewhat agree" (35%) rather than "strongly agree" (13%) that the government's reforms will create a better healthcare system. The other half (46%) of Ontarians are fairly evenly split between "somewhat disagreeing" (21%) and "strongly disagreeing" (25%) that a better healthcare system will result from the provincial government's reforms.

• Interestingly, northern Ontarians (53%) appear to be more likely than the provincial average (48%) to think that the PC government's reforms to the healthcare system will make it better for future generations.

However, Nearly Seven In Ten (68%) Say They Have Been "Satisfied With The Quality Of Healthcare They Have Personally Received In The Past Two Years"

However, when asked how satisfied Ontarians are with "the quality of healthcare they have personally received in the past two years", nearly seven in ten (68%) indicate that they are satisfied. One-quarter (25%) indicate that they have been "very satisfied", while the greater proportion say they are "somewhat satisfied" (42%). Of those who report that they are dissatisfied (29%) with the quality of healthcare they have received, 16% say they are "somewhat dissatisfied" and 13% are "very dissatisfied".

• Those who are most likely to indicate that the healthcare system is in crisis are not necessarily more likely to suggest that they are dissatisfied with the healthcare they have received. Ontarians over 55 years old (73%), women (70%) and those in the low-income and middle-income brackets (70% and 69% respectively) are slightly more likely to indicate that they are satisfied with the healthcare they have received.
• Regionally, eastern Ontarians (77%) and GTA residents (70%) - especially those living in the 416 area code of the GTA (74%) are more likely to report satisfaction with the healthcare they have received.

And, The Majority (55%) Say Their "Local Hospital Emergency Provides the Services and Quality of Care They Would Like it To"

The majority of Ontarians also say that the "local hospital emergency provides the services and quality of care they would like it to". Albeit, 34% "somewhat agree" rather than "strongly agree" (~22%) that the services and quality of care they want are provided by the local hospital emergency room. Of those who disagree (41%), one-quarter (23%) "strongly disagree" and 18% "somewhat disagree" that they think they have access to the services and quality of care they would like to have at their local hospital emergency room.

• Individuals living in households with combined incomes of more than $60,000 (49%) are less likely, than respondents in lower-income households (

  Funding Options for Healthcare in the Future

  Respondents were provided with the following statement "Recently, figures were released that claimed that in twenty years, healthcare costs would make up 70 percent of the province's budget. This would mean that the government would NOT have enough money available in 20 years to fund its other programs and services. There are a number of ways the government can deal with this situation."

  Respondents indicate the following: raising taxes (55%) and allowing private business to operate parts of the healthcare system (47%) are more acceptable than limiting healthcare services (34%), allowing the deficit to increase (34%) or allowing a two-tiered healthcare system (33%).

  • "Raising taxes to be spent directly on healthcare" - 55% acceptable versus 44% unacceptable.
  • "Allowing private sector business to operate parts of our healthcare system" - 47% acceptable versus 51% say unacceptable.
  • "Put major limits on the healthcare services provided to Ontarians" - 34% acceptable versus 65% unacceptable.
  • "Allow the deficit to rise by funding healthcare without cutting back other programs or taxes" - 34% acceptable versus 65% unacceptable.
  • "It will be ok if Canada developed two levels of healthcare service - a basic one that the government funded for everyone and another under which those who could afford it pay the full amount and receive whatever kind of service they wanted" - 33% agree versus 66% disagree.

  John Wright
  Senior Vice-President
  Angus Reid Group
  (416) 324-2900

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