NAPE Decries Health Care Cuts As Newfoundland and Labrador Ranks Lowest In Satisfaction With Health Care System

NAPE Decries Health Care Cuts As Newfoundland and Labrador Ranks Lowest In Satisfaction With Health Care System

ST. JOHN’S, NL – The results of a recent national poll in which Newfoundland and Labrador scored lowest in the country in terms of satisfaction with the overall health care system should send a message to government to stop the cuts in health care, says NAPE President Carol Furlong.

“The results of this poll couldn’t be more timely as it follows on the heels of announcements of cuts by Eastern Health,” says Furlong. “The national poll on attitudes of Canadians towards their health care system revealed that Newfoundlanders and Labradorians want improvements to our health care system, not cuts. This low level of confidence and satisfaction with our health care system revealed in the poll will be further exacerbated with the elimination of over 550 full time equivalent positions at Eastern Health. These cuts will do nothing to reassure the people of the province that our health care system is improving. If anything it sends the opposite message.”

“It seems that our system is under attack when emphasis should be on improving health care. The people of the province expect and deserve a health care system they can they have confidence in and depend on when needed,” states Furlong.

Furlong says the people are speaking out and government should pay attention to this poll, heed what the people are saying and stop the cuts to health care.

The poll on attitudes of Canadians towards their health care system was conducted by Forum Research Inc. The poll results are based on an interactive telephone survey of 3,932 randomly selected Canadian over the age of 18 across Canada. The poll was conducted on May 30 and 31 of this year. Results based on the total sample are considered accurate +/- 1.56%, 19 times out of 20. The poll showed a wide range of attitudes across the country but Newfoundland and Labrador had the dubious distinction of scoring the lowest in the country in terms of satisfaction with the overall health care system.

More information on the survey results are available online at: www.forumresearch.com/polls

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