Ford and Jones to meet with feds over health-care funding, say they are concerned' about timeline
Ontario Premier Doug Ford and Health Minister Sylvia Jones will meet with federal officials Thursday to discuss the details of the new healthcare funding proposal, which officials say has them concerned about timelines and patient-focused care.
The 10-year, $196.1 billion proposal, which was released on Tuesday, increases the Canada Health Transfer (CHT) and funding through bilateral agreements with provinces by about $46.2 billion. In order to access the funds, provinces have to meet certain conditions, including a commitment to hiring of new family physicians and nurses, clearing the COVID-19 surgical backlog and an investment in mental health.
“There is no doubt that any new health care spending and investments we will accept,” Jones told reporters on Wednesday. “I will say that I do have concerns about the timelines.”
“When deals come from the federal government in 10, and five year increments, it makes it very challenging, whether you're looking at new medical schools and residency positions, training and hiring new nurses, those are all things that take literally decades.”
The ministry of health confirmed that she and Ford will be meeting with Health Minister Jean-Yves Duclos and Intergovernmental Affairs Minister Dominic LeBlanc in Toronto tomorrow to go over the details of the bilateral agreement.
“I’m confident that we’ll get the Ts crossed and the Is dotted. We’re grateful for the offer, we’re grateful for sitting down with the Prime Minister but we want sustainability. We need certainty,” Ford told reporters Wednesday morning.
HOW WILL FUNDING BE BROKEN DOWN?
The premier’s office said Ontario is being offered $776 million in immediate, emergency top-up funding and another $8.4 billion in healthcare money over the next decade.
The government, however, is not speaking about how they hope to use the new funds; however Jones said more generally they want to improve the patient experience while ensuring continuity so that any investments they make are not “one and done programs.”
Community and home care were mentioned by the health minister as examples of where they may invest.
“I was a little surprised that there wasn't more focus on community care and home care. To me it is a very natural place for that patient experience to be improved and enhanced,” she said.
The emergency top-up is meant to help the province tackle emergency pressures on pediatric hospitals, emergency rooms and surgical centres.
Advocates have stressed they hope the investments include a substantial amount in health human resources, including doctors and nurses.
“We are asking that whatever money is new, 10 per cent of that new money, in addition to whatever money we are already spending in nursing, be dedicated to nursing, because if not we will continue to have a system that will continue to collapse,” Doris Grinspun, CEO of the Registered Nurses Association of Ontario, told CTV News Toronto.
She also stressed that she hopes none of the funding is put towards private clinics, and instead is funnelled into hospitals so that operating rooms can open up with appropriate staffing.
Ontario NDP Leader Marit Stiles said she is waiting to see what happens as part of the bilateral agreement negotiations to see what strings will be attached.
“I want to make sure that the federal money isn’t going into shareholders pockets,” she said.
With files from Siobhan Morris
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Grandparents killed in wrong-way crash on Hwy. 401 identified
A 60-year-old man and a 55-year-old woman killed in a wrong-way crash on Highway 401 earlier this week have been identified by the Consulate General of India in Toronto.
Police arrest 3 Indian nationals in killing of B.C. Sikh activist Hardeep Singh Nijjar
Three people have been arrested and charged in the killing of B.C. Sikh activist Hardeep Singh Nijjar – as authorities continue investigating potential connections to the Indian government.
Suter scores late goal, clinches series for Canucks
Pius Suter scored with 1:39 left and the Vancouver Canucks advanced to the second round of the NHL playoffs with a 1-0 victory over the Nashville Predators on Friday night in Game 6.
TD worst-case scenario more likely after drug money laundering allegations: analyst
TD Bank Group could be hit with more severe penalties than previously expected, says a banking analyst after a report that the investigation it faces in the U.S. is tied to laundering illicit fentanyl profits.
Quebec man who threatened Trudeau, Legault online sentenced to 20 months in jail
A Quebec man who pleaded guilty to threatening Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Premier François Legault has been sentenced to 20 months in jail.
Human remains found in rural Sask. possibly a decade old, RCMP say
RCMP say human remains found in a rural area in central Saskatchewan may have been there for a decade or more.
Britney Spears 'home and safe' after paramedics responded to an incident at the Chateau Marmont, source tells CNN
A source close to singer Britney Spears tells CNN that the pop star is 'home and safe' after she had a 'major fight' with her boyfriend on Wednesday night at the Chateau Marmont in West Hollywood.
Canadian doctor concerned new weight-loss drug Wegovy may be used inappropriately
As Wegovy becomes available to Canadians starting Monday, a medical expert is cautioning patients wanting to use the drug to lose weight that no medication is a ''magic bullet,' and the new medication is meant particularly for people who meet certain criteria related to obesity and weight.
Drew Carey is never quitting 'The Price Is Right'
Drew Carey took over as host of 'The Price Is Right' and hopes he’s there for life. 'I'm not going anywhere,' he told 'Entertainment Tonight' of the job he took over from longtime host Bob Barker in 2007.