In Canada, we still trust one another. I was only partly joking. Social solidarity has lead Canada to develop a health care system that puts a premium on all citizens having access to the same, high quality care. Jay told me of working in New York at private and public hospitals across the street from one another, where patients received very different health care. Canadians' sense of fairness and equity prevents such a situation from happening here.
Social solidarity is also why Canadians are reluctant to sue their doctors.
Canadians receive care within a public system in which their ability to pay is not an issue, and in which they will receive the same quality of care as other patients. As a result, they are more likely to accept that even when doctors are doing their best, they will sometimes make mistakes. Practising defensive medicine is not pleasant. An atmosphere of mutual trust between doctors and patients leads to more rewarding interactions than an atmosphere of mistrust. Unfortunately, social solidarity is not as strong in Canada as in the past.