September 13, 2017
Ms./Mr. INSERTFIRST NAME LAST NAME, M.L.A.
INSERT CONSTITUENCY (hyperlink to “Who is my MLA?”)INSERT MLA EMAIL (hyperlink to MLA addresses)
Room XXX Manitoba Legislative Building
450 Broadway Avenue, Winnipeg R3C 0V8
Dear Mr.(INSERT LAST NAME HERE),
I am writing to you as my elected member of the Manitoba Legislature to express my great concern about the recent discontinuation of publicly-funded occupational therapy and physical therapy out-patient services in the Winnipeg hospitals. As described in the Peachey Report (2017), occupational therapists and physical therapists, as members of the interprofessional healthcare team, contribute to increased efficiencies, decreased costs, and improved patient outcomes. Scientific evidence supports the role of rehabilitation in the restoration and maintenance of functional independence, management of pain through non-pharmaceutical means, and the optimization of a person’s quality of life. Theremoval of publicly-funded services will have significant negative impactson the individuals who do not have the resources to access privately available services.
The centralized waitlist for out-patient physical therapy services in Winnipeg averages more than 800 individuals at any one time, more than three quarters of whom do not carry 3rd party health insurance(personal communication). Referrals range for individuals across the lifespan and include such conditions as soft tissue injuries, fractures, falls in the elderly, post joint replacement, hand surgery, arthritis and fibromyalgia.With the median income of 15-64 year olds with disabilities self-reported as $20,420 in 2010, and for seniors aged 65 and older, $24,920 (Canadian Survey on Disability, Statistics Canada, 2012), it is unclear how these individuals are expected to access private services, if indeed they are available. With the loss of more than 23 equivalent-full-time physical therapist positions in Winnipeg’s public health care system, the high standards of quality care that Manitobans have come to expect are in jeopardy.
While I applaud the government in its attempts to be fiscally responsible, the concern is individuals will suffer by not having their comprehensive medical/healthneeds met as guaranteed by the Canada Health Act.The proposed plan of the Winnipeg Health Sciences Center continuing to provide rehabilitation services to individuals who fall below a defined income level will be difficult to fulfill given the size of the waitlist mentioned above. It will also exclude many people who earn too much to qualify for publicly funded services, but cannot afford to pay for private services.
If you would like to further discuss the impact of the discontinuation of physical therapy services on the health of Manitobans, please contact the Manitoba Physiotherapy Association or 204-925-5711.
Yours sincerely,
INSERT YOUR OWN NAME HERE
INSERT YOUR OWN ADDRESS HERE
Winnipeg