Health and Community Services
December 2, 2014

The following statement was given today in the House of Assembly by the Honourable Steve Kent, Deputy Premier and Minister of Health and Community Services:

Minister Provides Update on Consultations for Premier’s Summit on Health Care

Mr. Speaker I rise in this Honourable House to provide an update on the work we are undertaking as part of the Premier’s Summit on Health Care.

Primary health care is the day-to-day care needed to protect, maintain, and restore our health, and we are looking at how we deliver primary health care services in Newfoundland and Labrador. The Premier made a commitment to hold a health care summit to gain insight and perspectives from patients as well as all residents of the province.

Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to report that this process is now up and running, and off to a great start. We have planned regional forums across the four health care regions, and completed our first session last week in Grand Falls-Windsor, with a second one scheduled for this evening in Mount Pearl.

Our first session saw over 60 participants coming together to discuss a wide range of primary health care issues in areas including mental health and addictions, dementia care, healthy living, aging and chronic disease management.

Mr. Speaker, we are also adding additional sessions as previously announced. These include sessions in Kippens, Gander, Burin, St. Anthony and Clarenville. More information on the times and dates for these sessions is available on our health summit web page.

We have also been talking about other ways in which feedback can be provided into this consultation process. To assist with this, last week we launched a new interactive online engagement tool known as the Dialogue App.

Mr. Speaker, the Dialogue App was purchased from a UK software company, and adapted for the primary health care consultations by the Office of Public Engagement. The app is trusted by governments around the world and is used by more than 40 organizations on three continents. Residents can join the dialogue today at: dialogueapp.gov.nl.ca.

We value the feedback we continue to receive as part of this process, and encourage all residents to register for a forum, to express interest in participating in the Summit or to provide feedback by visiting the Department of Health and Community Service’s website or by calling 1-844-729-6310.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

2014 12 02                                        1:45 p.m.