Report looks to Germany, the Netherlands for health-care solutions [Video]

The new report says Canada should follow the lead of two European countries, in alleviating stress on the primary healthcare system.

The Montreal Economic Institute’s report released Thursday cited data that 26 per cent of Canadians reported being able to get a same-day or next-day appointment with a primary care provider last year, compared to 51 per cent of respondents in Germany, and 54 per cent in the Netherlands.

“We looked at what they were doing right in those countries,” said Renaud Brossard, a vice-president of communications at the institute. “One of the things we noticed is that they don’t spend more money than we do; they spend roughly the same amount.”

Brossard said German and Dutch primary health-care providers “use their time much better than we do.”

The institute recommended health-care systems in Canada allow patients to access a medical specialist without the requirement of a general practitioner’s referral. There’s no such requirement for a specialist …