The Bermuda Health Council has outlined its priorities in the year ahead which includes improving road safety and driving down healthcare costs.

Improving health facilities through inspections, improving access to health insurance and developing policies to regulate the price of drugs while improving patient identity are among the aims outlined in BHC’s Corporate Plan for 2017 to 2018.

Tawanna Wedderburn, CEO, said: “The Corporate Plan helps the Health Council continue to work towards building a sustainable and equitable health system. This

plan enhances transparency about what the Health Council does and why we do it.

“It holds us accountable to Bermuda’s residents, ensuring that we all have access to safe, affordable, quality care.

“This is especially important at a time when healthcare costs are high and the focus is on chronic, non-communicable diseases.”

Specific priorities outlined in the plan are to: promote Bermuda’s health system as a safe and trusted system; encourage constructive dialogue about healthcare that fuels better health outcomes; and mobilise collaboration among all who have a vested interest in the success of Bermuda’s health system.

Objectives by priority include improving road safety by collaborating eyesight standards, assessing gaps in end-of-life care by reporting on services and costs while publishing professional registers so that the public knows who is trained to deliver care, according to the Plan. It also aims to encourage statutory boards to develop practice guidelines and standards and to publish an annual report on the performance of statutory boards.

In terms of financing and economics, the council will develop and implement policy to regulate the price of drugs for chronic physical and mental conditions, advise the public on appropriate healthcare costs and expanding options for care by approving private facilities to receive reimbursement for Standard Health Benefits.

It aims to generate revenue through new or increased duties and taxes on unhealthy food items and collaborate to produce a report comparing Bermuda with other health systems in small islands.

There are also priorities in the area of accountability and regulation including improving access to health insurance by removing pre-existing conditions requirements and inspecting health facilities to encourage quality care.