Conflicts are escalating between health care providers and governments. People see hospitals closing, and they are told that waiting lists for surgery are getting longer and that physicians are leaving the country. Families and friends have to assume more responsibility for care in the home. Governments have frozen or reduced health care expenditures. The private sector is pressing to gain access to new business opportunities in a sector that, up to now, has been beyond its reach.
Critics say Canada can no longer afford universal, publicly funded health care.
People are also concerned about change in the economic and social environment. Based on our work, we are also worried about the effect of this change on their health. Many believe that Canada is one of the best places in the world to live, but they see worrisome signs of things to come as social tensions rise, intergenerational conflicts emerge, and important issues such as poverty remain unresolved. They fear a society in which a growing number of people are marginalized from the economic and social life of their communities. Overall, many feel powerless in the face of large scale change.