Alternative patient compensation models in Canada

Eventually, the financial burden of such a system would require either the reintroduction of some form of fault determination to limit the number of claims or a significant reduction in per-case indemnity amounts to bring the cost of such a program down to a sustainable level. [...] Aside from the financial aspects, the two key opportunities for improvement in the British system are related to patient safety and addressing the growing concerns of various groups regarding the high number of physicians being suspended. [...] While the cost of medical liability in per-capita terms may be lower in Canada than in some of the other countries reviewed, escalating costs of the current system and the potential to learn from the experiences abroad are among the compelling reasons to explore the potential impacts of changes to the Canadian system. [...] This change from the fault-based nature of the current system to one using “unintended and avoidable” as the criteria for significant injuries would widen the filter and therefore enable more claims to enter the system. [...] Following the principles of the NHLSA system in the U. K., this scenario presents a public indemnification scheme with a tort-based filter that limits the number of cases entering the system.