The 2004 Ten-Year Plan to Strengthen Health Care is a model to be followed for the future of public health care in Canada, specifically the provision of long-term, stable, escalating funding for an agreed upon set of objectives to be implemented under an agreed upon set of principles enshrined in federal legislation.
As of 2011, the Ten-Year Plan has led to improvements, but failed to meet key objectives and was ultimately too narrow in its ambitions. It was also flawed by omission, for example its silence on long-term care and mental health.
This 2011 submission to the Senate Standing Committee on Social Affairs, Science and Technology examines the Ten-Year Plan critically from the perspective of its commitments in the areas of health human resources and Pharmacare. We will conclude with an eye to improving outcomes through a greater commitment to public delivery and public reporting.
