New Brunswick Health Council report finds ongoing problems

The New Brunswick Health Council has some grim news for the province in its latest report on sustainability.

The report found New Brunswick's health status to be worse than the national average when it comes to chronic diseases and obesity. The province also underperforms when it comes to service, resulting in longer hospitalizations and more trips to the emergency room.

The health council says government spending on health care has risen from $7.82 billion to $8.26 billion.

"We have many issues we need to fix," said Stephane Robichaud, the CEO of the Health Council. "We have one of the highest rates of hospitalizations for many conditions in the country so is that sustainable? It's not acceptable."

Not just up to the government

The report also pointed out New Brunswick exceeds the national average when it comes to spending on human resources.

Robichaud said the province is not providing the level of care citizens expect and should be doing better.

Gabriela Tymowski, an associate professor of kinesiology at the University of New Brunswick said it's not just up to the government — people also need to take responsibility for their health.

"Unfortunately, if we look at the rates of obesity and rates of chronic illness, particularly sedentary lifestyle, we see that many people are in positions to make better choices and just simply aren't," she said.

The health council is calling for better planning and providing more consistent service across the province.