For years, Canada’s healthcare system has been plagued by long wait times, high costs, and uneven access, with few bold solutions on offer because of politicians’ and governments’ ideological commitment to the status quo, even in the face of facts. The COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated some of these issues, in particular surgical backlogs and cancellations. In this special edition of The Andrew Lawton Show, we do a deep dive into the problems facing Canadian healthcare – and some solutions – from a panel of experts who know the system well.
Joining the discussion are Dr. Shawn Whatley, author of “When Politics Comes Before Patients” and former Ontario Medical Association president; Medpoint Healthcare Centre president Alex Hanham; and Joanna Baron, executive director of the Canadian Constitution Foundation, which is representing Vancouver’s Cambie Surgery Centre in an ongoing healthcare access lawsuit.