The Canadian Medical Association (CMA) believes that health spending should be better monitored in line with the health care agreements signed by the federal government with the provinces and territories.

The doctors’ group released a new report calling for a stronger commitment to tracking improvements in health care and patient outcomes, citing the complexity of the agreements. It says the report highlights gaps in the agreements, such as the fact that no province or territory has set targets to eliminate emergency room closures. The medical association wants to establish a national health accountability officer to focus on tracking progress and reporting on the effectiveness of health spending. Last year, Ottawa announced $196 billion in funding over 10 years to improve access to health care, including about $45 billion in new funding.

Provinces and territories were asked to improve data sharing and measure progress in return for funds. In March, Quebec became the last province to sign an agreement. The association says the report found that five provinces and territories had no targets for electronic access to health data and seven had no targets for information sharing. It calls on “all levels of government to adopt proven solutions to ensure that this historic level of funding truly transforms our health care system.”

The group points out that more than 6.5 million Canadians do not have a primary care doctor, that “surgical delays remain significant and health care workforce shortages are overwhelming.” Association president Joss Reimer says in a statement that “increased accountability is essential to successfully implement lasting change in our health care system.” This is a corrected version. An earlier version noted that Joss Reimer was president of the association, although she is its president.

Caption and photo credit: A treatment room in the emergency department at Peter Lougheed Hospital is pictured in Calgary, Alberta, on August 22, 2023. The Canadian Medical Association believes health care spending should be better tracked. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jeff McIntosh