Shared Health Priorities and Safe Long-term Care Fund

The Government of Canada is taking leadership by engaging with provinces and territories to address key health care priorities, and working in partnership with them to strengthen health care systems so that they continue to meet the needs of Canadians. With an aging population, advancing technologies and increasing rates of chronic disease, it is more important than ever that our health care systems adapt to deliver better care and better outcomes.

Bilateral agreements

Home and Community Care and Mental Health and Addiction Services

Budget 2017 confirmed an investment of $11 billion over ten years to provinces and territories specifically targeted to improve home and community care, and mental health and addiction services.

In August 2017, all provinces and territories^{Footnote 1} agreed to a Common Statement of Principles on Shared Health Priorities, which outlines common priorities for action in home and community care, and in mental health and addiction services.

The federal government then negotiated and signed Agreements with each province and territory that set out details of how each jurisdiction is using federal funding to improve access to home and community care, and mental health and addiction services.

Agreements for the first five years, which expired March 31, 2022, are available below. One-year extensions of the agreements are being implemented for 2022-23. This will provide provinces and territories an opportunity to evaluate their current needs, and adjust their plans for future investments that align with those outlined in the Common Statement of Principles on Shared Health Priorities.

In the area of home and community care, these federal investments support initiatives that:

• better coordinate and integrate care,
• enhance digital connectivity and the use of remote technology so patients can get care at home,
• provide caregivers with more education supports and expanded respite services, and
• improve access to palliative and end-of-life supports.

In the area of mental health and addiction services, these federal investments support initiatives that:

• increase the availability of mental health and addiction services in the community,
• improve access to school-based programs for early prevention, detection and treatment, and
• expand access to crisis intervention services and integrated multidisciplinary professional services.

Safe Long-term Care Fund (2021)

The COVID-19 pandemic highlighted long-standing and systemic challenges in Canada's long-term care (LTC) facilities.

Recognizing the need for action and Canadians' concern for themselves and their families, the 2020 Fall Economic Statement committed $1 billion through the Safe Long-term Care Fund (SLTCF) to support provinces and territories to protect those living and working in LTC settings, and improve infection prevention and control measures. Working with provinces and territories, existing agreements for home and community care, and mental health and addiction services were amended to support greater infection prevention and control, staffing and infrastructure in LTC facilities and seniors' residences providing continuing care services.

Provinces and territories used this funding to undertake a range of activities, including carrying out infection prevention and control readiness assessments, making improvements to ventilation and hiring additional staff or topping up wages.

Additionally, Budget 2021 included a $ 3 billion investment to ensure that provinces and territories can provide a high standard of care in their LTC facilities.

The federal government will continue to work collaboratively with provinces and territories, while respecting their jurisdiction over health care, including LTC. This work will ensure seniors and those in LTC facilities live in safe and dignified conditions.

Accountability

To enable Canadians to assess progress on the shared health priorities, the Canadian Institute for Health Information (CIHI) led a process with federal, provincial and territorial officials to develop a focused set of common indicators following agreement on the Common Statement of Principles on Shared Health Priorities. In June 2018, FPT Ministers of Health agreed to a set of 12 common indicators for home and community care, and mental health and addiction services. Results of these indicators are made public by CIHI on their webpage for Shared Health Priorities.

For Safe Long-term Care funding, provinces and territories provide an overview in the agreement of performance measures, targets and outcomes.