Liberals Announce New Funding to Improve Abortion Access

In a move depicting what is likely to come in the battle between Liberals and Conservatives leading up to the next election, the Liberals are talking about abortion again.
On that, and more, here is your Syntax Weekly Health Round-Up. 

At Committee

• After passing a vote at Second Reading, Bill C-47 (the Budget Implementation Act) is processing through its Committee Study at the Standing Committee on Finance. Once passed, the Bill will return to the House of Commons for Report Stage Debate and a vote at Third Reading. The government will be hard-pressed for time given consideration of other business, making it likely that time allocation will have to be used.

Around Cabinet  

• To mark National Nursing Week, Minister of Health Jean-Yves Duclos and Minister of Mental Health Carolyn Bennett issued a statement recognizing the urgent need to address the current health worker crisis which is greatly impacting nurses’ physical and mental health.
• Minister of Mental Health Carolyn Bennett celebrated National Child and Youth Mental Health Day by recognizing the theme of this year’s day, “I care about you.” Bennett noted work being done by Kids Help Phone and Wellness Together Canada to make a difference in the lives of young people across the country. Bennett also took the opportunity to recognize the CIHR, which is working with partners to establish the Integrated Youth Services Network of Networks Initiative (IYS-Net), for which Health Canada is working with the Health Standards Organization and Frayme to create health standards and implementation tools aimed at improving the integration of youth mental health and addiction services.
• In a move responding directly to Pierre Poilievre’s unfavourability among women and depicting what is likely to come in the battle between Liberals and Conservatives leading up to the next election, the Liberal government announced more than $4.2 million in funding for projects that will improve access to reproductive and abortion services by removing barriers to vital abortion services and offer accurate reproductive health information for Canadians.

Around the Government

• In response to the WHO’s announcement that it no longer classifies COVID-19 as a “global health emergency,” the Public Health Agency of Canada reiterated that it recognizes the SARS-CoV-2 virus is still circulating across Canada and worldwide, and it will continue to monitor the situation to mitigate domestic health and societal impacts of this virus.

Around the Dominion

• In Nova Scotia, the government announced an investment in 60 new and strengthened clinics that will connect more Nova Scotians to primary care they can count on. The expansion includes collaborative family practice teams, primary care clinics, after-hours clinics, urgent care centres, and urgent treatment centres.
• Saskatchewan is developing a second phase of improvements to its pathway for Internationally Educated Nurses (IENs) that will further accelerate timeframes. By September, Saskatchewan will be ready to implement a second series of improvementsfor IENs, including a shorter bridging program that will build on an applicant’s existing knowledge but also provide solid grounding and orientation to the Saskatchewan healthcare system, and an applicant-focused approach to support success. Saskatchewan also announced plans to develop a new family physician payment model based on blended capitation (blended meaning it offers two streams of remuneration).