The Honourable Marjorie Miche
Minister of Health
Investments in primary care and workforce mobility are helping Canadians access timely, high-quality health services where they live.
Our government recognizes the essential role that primary care plays in the delivery of health services, including the prevention and treatment of common health problems and the management of ongoing health issues, and role of the health workforce in helping to ensure that Canadians can access timely, high-quality health services in their communities. Because a strong health workforce is equally important to ensuring Canadians can access timely, high-quality care in their communities.
The Government of Canada is committed to investing in our health care system. This includes close to $200 billion over 10 years through the Working Together to Improve Health Care for Canadians plan, which provides long-term, predictable funding to provinces and territories through the Canada Health Transfer (CHT) and $25 billion for bilateral agreements to support shared health priorities such as expanding access to primary care and supporting the health workforce.
We are working with provinces and territories to ensure these investments respond to the needs of Canadians in communities across the country. Initial Working Together bilateral agreements were signed with all provinces and territories in 2023 to 2024. These agreements are designed to be flexible and tailored, allowing provinces and territories to address the unique needs of their populations and geography.
The agreements are supported by detailed action plans outlining how provinces and territories are allocating funding to strengthen their health systems.
We are continuing this work with provinces and territories. Discussions are currently underway to renew the agreements and action plans and provide the remaining seven years of funding.
Improving access also means making it easier for health care professionals to practice where they are needed most. Complementary federal investments are supporting the digital infrastructure needed to improve health workforce mobility, strengthen interoperability and support the adoption of AI tools that can help reduce administrative burdens on health care providers.
Health Canada is funding the National Registry of Physicians, Canada’s first integrated source of physician licensure data, and NURSYS in Canada, a national platform for nursing licensure data. These initiatives will facilitate information exchange between regulators and make it easier for doctors and nurses to move and practice across Canada.
This work can help communities fill urgent staffing gaps faster, particularly in rural and remote areas.
Our government will continue working with provinces, territories and health system partners to improve access to care. Transforming the delivery of primary care, including through the implementation and expansion of team based care and the use of virtual care, can help Canadians get the care they need, including those living in rural and remote communities.