False Positive

Private Profit in Canada’s Medical Laborities

Ross Sutherland

When your doctor takes a blood sample for analysis, where does it go? Does it find its way to your local, publicly owned hospital? Does it take a longer journey to a private, for-profit lab in the next city? Chances are, you’ve never given it a lot of thought. In this daring exposé of the laboratory system, Sutherland investigates its historical and contemporary development in Canada and argues that the landscape has been heavily influenced by the private, for-profit companies — to the detriment of the public health care system. 

Contents

Medical Laboratories and the Public-Private Debate • Medical Laboratory Services before Medicare: Securing a Strong Non-Profit Sector • The Rise of the For-Profits, 1968–1990 • Support for Non-Profit Delivery • For-Profits Consolidate Power, 1990–2010 • The Winners: LifeLabs/MDS, GDML and CML • Across Canada: Variations from Sea to Sea • Cost and Integration • Quality and Accessibility • Conclusions • References

About the Author

Ross Sutherland is a registered nurse and holds a master’s degree in political economy from Carleton University.