NLMA to hold town halls with doctors to find ways of cutting costs

The Newfoundland and Labrador Medical Association (NLMA) will survey its members and hold a series of town halls to discuss the difficult choices ahead for health care providers in the province.

Officials with the NLMA said the province's current fiscal situation means that physicians must work to find ways to help reduce health care costs, while maintaining quality and safety.

President Jonathan Greenland said the NLMA plans to consult with physicians, and with patients to discuss the challenges and find solutions.

"It's Mount Everest, we're up against this huge challenge," he said.

He said the organization will start by conducting a survey of doctors to generate ideas, and follow that up by holding a series of physician town halls in St. John's, Gander, Corner Brook and Happy Valley-Goose Bay.

"I think we've needed to do this for a long time. I think there are a lot of opportunities to re-design the whole system which has been in place for many, many years, based on the way our province used to be years ago."

Premier Dwight Ball has asked all departments within the government to try and find ideas for a 30 per cent revenue increase, or a 30 per cent reduction in costs.

That would mean cutting $900 million from the annual health care budget, but Greenland doesn't anticipate health care providers will be able to cut that much. 

Greenland said he met with the province's Health Minister John Haggie earlier this month and Haggie said he welcomed the input and involvement of physicians as partners to help find a solution to the current crisis.

The first physician consultation meetings are expected to happen in March.