Victims of the Canadian Healthcare system

Nannababy -- To your first point:  I think some of us have explained that, while healthcare costs are rising every day, there are, in fact, guidelines that provinces are expected to follow, if they are expecting to continue receiving funding from Health Canada, the federal body.  Your concerns are more properly directed to the Ontario Ministry of Health and Long-term Care.  Your difficulties with individual doctors should be documented and directed to the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Ontario.  As for "regulating" -- how many times you get checked, etc., well -- fortunately, we are able to exercise free will in our democratic country, and can choose to have regular checkups...or not.  Please take a moment and think about what you're actually asking.

I believe we all appreciate what you have endured and we do support any efforts to make things right, but telling us to leave, or to stop posting here, is a strange way of engendering our support.  Since this is a public website, I think perhaps you've overstepped your bounds as a poster.

"The point of this thread, that I started, is whether you agree with me or not that the government thinks too much about the $$ than the wellbeing of Canadians."

Okay, if that's the question then my answer is that I don't agree.

This is a hugely complicated issue and what the government is trying to do is find balance. The government has an obligation to the people of Canada both from the standpoint of doing what's necessary to keep Canadians healthy and provide all the necessary healthcare options, and from the standpoint of managing our (the government's - but they work for us) money. Do they get the balance right every time?  No. The issues are well known. But overall the system works a lot more often than it doesn't work. 

The fact is that issues related to improving healthcare - making more options available to patients, reducing wait times,  increasing the availability of family doctors, etc. etc. - is a huge focus of our governments (federal and provincial).  Budgets are a focus too.  That's simply reality.

By the way, I do wish that we had consistent treatment guidelines across the country, not province by province guidelines.  But that's federal government vs. provincial government politics, an issue that's been around since Confederation.  Personally I would prefer a stronger federal presence in healthcare but that's just not how our country is set up.  Look at the U.S.. They have more power in the States vs. their federal government - and that in fact could be the issue that brings down their healthcare legislation.  Here in Canada we actually have a stronger federal government, with more power as it relates to healthcare (although for me, not enough).

Such a complex issue, with no easy answers.  

I agree that explicit guidelines should be put in place so that symptoms of breast cancer in young women are not ignored and have less chance of being misinterpreted. For example,  people of any age presenting with symptoms such as NannaBaby had, i.e. inverted and bleeding nipples,  and others such as red, swollen and orange peel breasts should automatically be sent for bc screening tests - mammos, biopsies, MRIs.  This would prevent tragic cases of misdiagnoses in young women such as Mrs_X_Sunneedazee from these boards whose ibc was not diagnosed for so long.  And doctors should be better educated about the symptoms.

I am generally a huge fan of the Canadian health care system and think it works very well overall.  and so are the majority of Canadians which is why our Prime Minister, who used to promote private health care, now praises our universal public system (at least in public before elections).  

Gosh I'm confused.  NannaBaby, you want consistency in treatment standards and you want monitoring of doctors and you want doctors to check up on their patients.  But then you say that you'd like to have a choice to use private and public or both.  "It's to bad I can't go and pay for care and have more choices."  But wouldn't that lead to exactly the type of inequity and inconsistency in treatment that you are railing against?  Doesn't that mean that someone without private insurance - me, for example - would get a lesser level of care?

There may be a place for private clinics but I think we need to be very careful about that types of treatments and procedures they are licensed to do.  We cannot have a private system that skims off the top, taking the best doctors and allowing all the rich patients (or those with really good insurance) to jump the queue and/or get better treatment.

Personally I'd like to see the implementation of user fees.  A small fee - maybe just $5 or $10 - whenever we go to a doctor or clinic or the emergency room (except in cases where we have a referral).  That would be affordable, it might cut down on some of the abuse of the system (but hopefully wouldn't stop anyone from seeing a doctor who needs to see a doctor), and it would add a lot of money into the system.  I think the concern about user fees is that once they are in place, there is a risk that they could be increased - to the point where one day they are no longer affordable.  That obviously would be a problem and I think that's why the subject of user's fees is such a no-no with our governments.

By the way, to your comment about educating patients, have you not seen the Ontario television ads or received the Ontario booklet that tries to educate Ontarians about all the health care options available?  I can't find the booklet or the ads on-line, but here is the website that talks about this:

http://www.health.gov.on.ca/en/public/programs/hco/options.aspx  

I became aware of TeleHealth Ontario from seeing one of the television ads and I called them one time and got terrific service.  The general nurse that I spoke to couldn't help me so she had a specialized nurse call me (within minutes) and I was told exactly what to do about my concern, what to watch for and what to do should anything further develop. I thought it was great and for that particular need (which worried me but probably was not serious), it was so much better than going to a clinic or emergency. 

If something doesn't sound right, question it. When I was in my forties, my GP sent me to a gyno. I had been previously been diagnosed with a beneign ovarian cyst that showed up on the ultrasound. GP kept feeling year after year and when I was past menopause and it was there, he said I need to see a  gyno.

Referred me. The gyno walked it, and I quote "we're going to go in a rip those puppies out". I said, don't you even want to examine me? No, there's no need just book your surgery with my receptionist on your way out."  I did. Then I went straight to my GP and told him exactly what happened.

He had this shocked look on his face and said "uhmmm, he's a really good gyno." Are you sure nothing more was discussed?" I told him I was fully dressed and the appt was as long as it took to say the "we're going to rip . . . . " sentence.

I could see his mind working and I finally said, "If I was your wife, what would you tell me to do." He immediately said "Get a second opinion."  I did and a third too. 11 years later I still have both ovaries but see my gyno annually to have an ultrasound. 

I also learned, if one doctor doesn't feel a test is necessary (but I do), then I will keep asking my various doctors until someone provides it. I never take no for an answer.

I can't ever recall being turned down for any doctor order test. Isn't their job to follow doctor's orders?

Well said Beth.  I live in Ontario and have many health issues and have never had to fight for any tests.  Ask and you will receive.

Hello there,

I have gone through Breast Cancer, Thyroid Cancer and DBS surgery for Parkinson's Disease.  All my testing was done through protocol and in a timely fashion.  Time from diagnosis to surgery was minimal.  My DBS surgery took 1 year to schedule but that was because I wanted a specific neurosurgeon.  So please don't badmouth our health system here.  If I were living in the US, I'd be living on the street.

My family doctor has never left any stone unturned with regard to my health, including scheduling tons of tests, which were not denied and that I felt were unnecessary. I also have regular check ups with all my specialists, which are many.

ETA - I am dealing with a fibroadenoma right now and I have had 4 ultrasounds and 2 mammos within the last year.

I agree Marjie, but that protocol has been set in the US as well.  I guess we're following suit.

Yes - exactly ... following suit. 

That being said, without going through what I have been through, I wouldn't be paying any attention to these debates.  I guess by diagnosis we are all forced to become our own advocates to a certain degree.