Too many seniors with dementia are being prescribed drugs that cause confusion and worsen cognitive function, according to findings of a new study based on Canadian data.

Health inequality in Canada is growing. And nowhere is that more evident than in the health gap between indigenous and non-indigenous Canadians. In a report released last November the Canadian Institute for Health Information concluded that Canada wasn't likely to see any major improvements in health inequality without addressing the social determinants of health. "A big part of that isn't our health care system, it's that we don't have the kind of equal society, we don't have the social safety net that many European countries for example do. And that reflects in statistics," said Dr. Ryan Meili, a family doctor from Saskatoon and a former provincial NDP leadership candidate.

Health inequality in Canada is growing. And nowhere is that more evident than in the health gap between indigenous and non-indigenous Canadians. In a report released last November the Canadian Institute for Health Information concluded that Canada wasn't likely to see any major improvements in health inequality without addressing the social determinants of health. "A big part of that isn't our health care system, it's that we don't have the kind of equal society, we don't have the social safety net that many European countries for example do. And that reflects in statistics," said Dr. Ryan Meili, a family doctor from Saskatoon and a former provincial NDP leadership candidate.

Health Minister Gaétan Barrette is blasting a private consortium headed by SNC-Lavalin for suing the Quebec government and the McGill University Health Centre for $330 million, charging that the amount being sought in additional compensation for having constructed the MUHC superhospital is "enough to build a small town hospital."

Moves in Quebec and Saskatchewan toward two-tier health care will force the new Liberal government to act, one way or another. their health systems toward two-tier medicine. Quebec's reforms in particular could end up violating the Canada Health Act, a federal statute that prohibits physicians from charging extra fees for medically necessary services. That province has long allowed physicians to extra-bill patients for "medication and anesthesia agents." The idea, presumably, was that doctors couldn't charge patients out-of-pocket for, say, looking at a sore finger. But they could charge for the cost of a bandage. .... Saskatchewan presents Ottawa with a murkier problem. In November, Premier Brad Wall's government passed a law allowing private MRI clinics to operate in the province, charge whatever fee they choose and bill patients directly for the service.

An annual report into wait times for priority procedures says four out of five Canadians get surgery within wait-time guarantees the provinces implemented a decade ago. Critics say a new report falls short because it fails to consider weeks and months it can take for patients to get on a waiting list.

Critics say a new report falls short because it fails to consider weeks and months it can take for patients to get on a waiting list.

In response to reports that a pay-for-plasma firm has applied for a licence in B.C., Heath Minister Terry Lake said Tuesday that the ministry hadn't taken an "ideological position" on such operations. But by not outright rejecting them, the ministry spurred widespread debate about how pay-for-plasma operations could impact donations. Cumming said it's a "slippery slope" when it comes to mixing profit and the procurement of human tissue. He is part of a network of survivors involved with BloodWatch.org, whose mandate is to uphold recommendations from the Krever Inquiry of 1997, conducted following the scandal. Among Justice Horace Krever's 50 recommendations was that donors shouldn't be paid for blood or plasma, except in rare cases.

Doctors say abysmally long wait lists in Canada are driving people out of the country for surgery. When things go wrong, Canadian doctors are left to treat them

Amy Desjardins became well versed on the topic of end-of-life care over the course of her 12 years working as the communications director for the Bruyère Foundation, which deals with patients in need of palliative care. But having to deal with its realities never really hit home until her own sister became terminally ill.

A clinic that pays donors for their blood hosted its official opening today in Saskatoon. Canadian Plasma Resources will pay donors a $25 gift card each time they donate plasma. Canadian Blood Services collects enough plasma from volunteers for blood transfusions across the country but can't get enough to meet the demand for plasma-derived drugs.

Health Minister Gaétan Barrette announced a pilot project on Tuesday that aims to fund hospitals based on the care they give to patients. Quebec hopes the new system will help it save hundreds of millions of dollars per year. Barrette said the first step will be to compare the cost of surgeries done in the public system versus those done in the private system. In the coming months, a pilot project will be conducted involving three private clinics in the Montreal area (Clinique de chirurgie Dix30, Rockland MD and Groupe Opmedic).

Saskatchewan's health care system is "broken," according to many sector leaders interviewed for a report into the first phase of Lean implementation. But those same leaders seem optimistic the sometimes controversial management method is the "best hope yet for true system transformation." The report calls the structure of Lean "rigid, prescriptive and stifling at times," noting it can "disempower leaders who feel the need to adapt tools and programs to their local contexts." It also noted "a lack of ability to set local priorities, and lack of flexibility to adapt tools to local contexts." (for full story click on the link)

Una Ginnane spent two frustrating years in a wheelchair after doctors at five Montreal hospitals refused to give her a new hip at her age because she was deemed too fragile. "I had to go private, to have a new hip, and I can assure you I don't have the money," said 90-year-old Ginnane, who took out a line of credit on her Montreal home last year to finance her hip replacement. In June, Ginnane paid $19,000 for an operation at a private clinic that lasted 40 minutes. Once she woke up, Ginanne got off the gurney and walked. "I was in a wheelchair for 20 months," said Ginnane, who says her only regret is not going to a private clinic earlier. (click on link to read full story)