Caring practices and the financial bottom line

Canadian health care is facing enormous pressures. The provinces are having difficulties coping as declining federal support for health care results in reduced transfer payments and as lower tax revenues impair governments' ability to control deficits. To survive the necessary budget cuts, facilities are restructuring and trying new systems of management, such as multiskilling, outcome measurement and total quality management. These measures are saving the required dollars, but they have put caring at great risk.