Ontarios long-revered health-care system is a mess, with huge executive pay raises, growing use of lobbying firms paid with tax dollars and a mounting culture of fear that pervades all parts of the system.

But despite a volatile cocktail of bureaucratic waste and questionable use of tax dollars, Health Minister Deb Matthews has failed to address these issues that threaten the integrity and effectiveness of the health-care system.

Importantly, since Matthews was named health minister in 2009, Ontarios health-care system has displayed disturbing signs of decay, particularly in community care which Matthews boasts as one of her big successes.

Evidence of trouble is rampant.

First, executive salaries at Community Care Access Centres, which govern home care in Ontario, have skyrocketed while low-paid workers who actually deliver services to patients havent seen their incomes rise in a decade and in many cases have actually suffered significant drops.

Second, the 14 CCACs are now using tax dollars meant for patient care to pay for lobbying firms that advise the CCACs on how to sell their message to politicians at Queens Park.

Third, barely 40 to 50 cents of every tax dollar earmarked for home care actually reaches the health-care professionals who deliver services to patients. Stunningly, the rest goes to executive salaries, rent, administrative costs, care coordination and corporate profits.

Fourth, a reign of fear and intimidation imposed by CCAC bureaucrats has effectively shut up critics of the system, especially those employed by private companies that have contracts with CCACs to provide the workers who actually deliver services to patients.

Many of us in the community have been very frustrated for some time, the president of a private service provider wrote this week in an email. We are not able to speak out on any of these issues in fear of jeopardizing our contracts.

How, indeed, does Matthews justify huge CEO wage increases and wage inequalities? Why does she overlook a culture of fear thats so pervasive among those under her portfolio?

See the article here:

Soaring CEO pay and fear rock health-care sector: Hepburn