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Sustainability
Care Experience Population Health Citizen Engagement Care Experience Survey

The New Brunswick Health Council (NBHC) recently spoke publicly of the sustainability challenge of our provincial health care system. The issue has also garnered much attention in the council's on-going engagement sessions. To help interested stakeholders better appreciate the sustainability challenge, the NBHC has prepared a report called Understanding New Brunswick's Health Care Costs and Capacity to Deliver Health Care. More...



Understanding New Brunswick's Health care Costs and capacity to Deliver Health Care: Relashionship Between Health Care and Sustainability

For Financial and clinical sustainability to occur in New Brunswick, planning for the future will be critical.
In order for sustainability to occur there will need to be a balance between a low per capita cost, adequate capacity and resources, quality health care services, and citizen satisfaction with the health system while providing the best health outcomes for the population of New Brunswick.

Cost Drivers:

  • Aging population
  • Advancement in current technologies
  • New technologies
  • Drugs
  • Changing expectations: wanting the newest and best
  • Capital (Buildings & Equipment)
  • Inflation & labour costs

Programs and services offered in New Brunswick
Source: Canadian Institute for Health Information, National Expenditure Database, 2009 (Includes the Department of Wellness, Culture and Sport -Wellness portion, the Department of Health and the Department of Social Development -Long Term Care).

Slowing growth rate

The Department of Health planned for a slowing of the growth rate of health expenditures. They set their target for 2010/2011 at 4.5% growth rate based on their average expenditure growth rate of 8.6% in the past 10 years. The real one year annual change from 2007-2008 to 2008-2009 (reviewed by the NBHC) revealed a 5% increase ($2.34 billion to $2.46 billion); a positive trend towards their goal. (This target does not include wellness expenditures from the Department of Wellness, Culture and Sport; or long term care expenditures from the Department of Social Development.)

Capacity / Resources (Equipment, staffing and
information technology):
The information from this report will contribute to the overall baseline picture of sustainability from which the New Brunswick Health Council will build its overall recommendations to the Minister of Health.
Special points of interest:
To find out more about how much your hospital stay cost based on your condition cost, visit the Patient Cost Estimator
To find out more information about how the New Brunswick Health system works,
click here