TORONTO - The governing Liberals are promising to regulate an industry that transfers hundreds of thousands of non-critical Ontario patients each year if they are re-elected this fall.

Legislation will be introduced "at the earliest opportunity" that would set core standards and requirements for non-emergency medical transfers of patients, Health Minister Deb Matthews and Transportation Minister Kathlee Wynne said Friday.

Bills can't be introduced over the summer, as the Liberals abruptly ended the legislative session a day early last week. Any new legislation would have to wait until after the Oct. 6 election.

The Liberals will consult with stakeholders -- including the industry itself -- before the legislation would be introduced, Matthews said in an interview.

"We became aware that people thought they were in an ambulance when they weren't, they thought that the driver had skills that they didn't have," she said. "So regulating to make sure that they meet certain standards is what we will do. Exactly what those standards will be is something we're going to be working on."

Matthews and Wynne made the announcement after reviewing the preliminary findings and recommendations from Ontario ombudsman Andre Marin, who launched an investigation in January but hasn't released a final report.

At the time, he said serious concerns were raised about private companies providing medical transfer services for an estimated 350,000 to 500,000 non-critical patients every year.

"Patients and people within this industry have been calling for regulation of non-emergency medical transfer services for a long time, and with good reason," Marin said Friday in a release. "Our investigation uncovered serious issues, from a lack of infection control to unsafe vehicles and poorly trained staff. These vehicles look like ambulances and are often transporting vulnerable patients. People need to know they can trust these services."

Marin received at least 30 complaints, including one from a Toronto man whose father -- suffering from lung and bone cancer -- was dropped twice while being taken to another hospital.

Another woman from the Woodstock area reported that her mother choked to death while being transported between hospitals in 2005.

Kathleen Goldhar said her infant son, who was suffering from respiratory infection, nearly died while being transported between hospitals in January 2007. Now four years old, her son still suffers from asthma as a result of the infection.

Goldhar welcomed the prospect of provincial regulation of the industry, saying she'd like to see more training for staff and the same kind of equipment standards that ambulances must meet.

"It's about time, and I think it's going to save a lot of people's lives," she said.

There have been other complaints about lack of infection controls, and even parts falling off unsafe vehicles. Marin said complaints had been circulating for at least 10 years, but fell on deaf ears until now.

Matthews said she wasn't aware of the complaints until last year, but the ministry is looking for ways to improve Ontario's health-care system.

"What's important is that people, no matter where they are in the health-care system, should have confidence that the care that they're getting is appropriate and regulated," she said.

But the New Democrats say the government has no excuse for not moving sooner to regulate the industry.

"They have been in power for eight years -- this problem has been there from the get-go," said NDP health critic France Gelinas. "They knew about this. Anybody who had the health file knew about this, and they did nothing for the eight years that they were in power."

Visit any hospital and you'll hear the horror stories from patients, she said. Complaints have surfaced in newspapers. Others have written to her and the minister.

"Now they say, 'Re-elect us so we will act."' she said. "My answer to this is: where were you for the last eight years?"

Marin thanked the government for committing to legislation, but said he'll continue to monitor the issue.

"We will keep a close eye on the next legislative session to make sure the government follows through on this for patients," he said.