Ontario to reveal next steps of 'Plan to Stay Open' Thursday, hints at changing 'status quo'
The Ontario government will reveal the next steps of its “Plan to Stay Open” on Thursday, something the Health Minister Sylvia Jones has hinted will create stability in the province’s health-care system and aid in recovery post pandemic.
Speaking at the Association of Municipalities Ontario conference in Ottawa, Jones provided vague details about what these next steps may entail.
The government’s goals, she said, are to “provide the best care possible to patients and residents while ensuring the resources and supports are in place to keep our province and economy open.”
“After decades of inaction, we can no longer stand by and support a status quo that cannot respond to the current challenges the sector if facing,” she told the crowd. “Instead, guided by the best evidence and the successes of other jurisdictions, the government will take bold action that prioritizes patients and their health above all else.”
Part of the plan will involve an expansion of a program that allows paramedics to transport patients somewhere other than an emergency room or to treat them at the scene.
CTV News Toronto has learned that more details about the plan will be released on Thursday, however it’s unclear what else it will include.
Jones is scheduled to make an announcement alongside Minister of Long-Term Care Paul Calandra and the CEO of Ontario Health Matthew Anderson at 9 a.m.
The Progressive Conservative government has been under fire for saying they have not ruled out the privatization of health care in Ontario as a way of dealing with major staffing shortages in hospitals.
These shortages have prompted some hospitals to close their emergency room departments and non-essential surgeries to be delayed.
On Tuesday, Premier Doug Ford was peppered with questions from the official opposition about the possible privatization of some health-care services.
While he adamantly said that “no one will have to pay (for health care) with a credit card,” he also acknowledged—without providing details—that the system needed to change.
“We can't do the same status quo,” the premier said at the legislature. “We're gonna fix it. We're gonna deliver health care in a different fashion, through the sector's advice, not through our government's advice, through the experts.”
Health-care workers and advocates have been asking the government for added support over the last few months, but both Jones and Ford have been sidestepping the issue, referring reporters to their previous commitments rather than adopting new policies.
This tactic was used again on Wednesday when opposition members brought up Bill 124, legislation that caps the wages of public sector employees. Advocates have said the repealing of this bill would help with staff retention. In response, Ford noted that his government has already provided nurses with retention bonuses valued at $5,000 and has invested significant funding in training and the creation of more hospital beds.
The government also reiterated that the shortage is not a crisis, but a reality being felt across Canada. The federal government, Ford said, should therefore provide the province with more financial aide.
“This is not unique to Ontario,” he said.
The “Plan to Stay Open” was put forward at the end of March as a strategy to “build a stronger, more resilient health system that is better prepared to respond to crisis.”
It included a permanent wage hike for personal support workers, the creation of two new medical schools, a financial investment in nursing programs, the shoring up of domestic production of personal protective equipment and the creation of 3,000 new hospital beds over the next decade.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Stormy Daniels describes meeting Trump during occasionally graphic testimony in hush money trial
Stormy Daniels took the witness stand Tuesday at Donald Trump's hush money trial, describing for jurors a sexual encounter the porn actor says she had with him in 2006 that resulted in her being paid off to keep silent during the presidential race 10 years later.
Former homicide detective explains how police will investigate shooting outside Drake's Bridle Path mansion
Footage from dozens of security cameras in the area of Drake’s Bridle Path mansion could be the key to identifying the suspect responsible for shooting and seriously injuring a security guard outside the rapper’s sprawling home early Tuesday morning, a former Toronto homicide detective says.
Jeremy Skibicki has 'uphill battle' to prove he's not criminally responsible in Winnipeg killings: legal analysts
Accused killer Jeremy Skibicki could have a challenging time convincing a judge that he is not criminally responsible for the deaths of four Indigenous women, a legal analyst says.
Bye-bye bag fee: Calgary repeals single-use bylaw
A Calgary bylaw requiring businesses to charge a minimum bag fee and only provide single-use items when requested has officially been tossed.
Air France flight from Paris to Seattle lands in Iqaluit after heat smell in cabin
A plane travelling from Paris to Seattle was forced to make an emergency landing in Iqaluit after there was a heat smell in the cabin during the flight.
CFL suspends Argos QB Chad Kelly at least nine games following investigation
The CFL suspended Toronto Argonauts quarterback Chad Kelly for at least nine regular-season games Tuesday following its investigation into a lawsuit filed by a former strength-and-conditioning coach against both the player and club.
Boy Scouts of America changing name for first time in 114 years, aiming for inclusivity
The Boy Scouts of America is changing its name for the first time in its 114-year history and will become Scouting America. It's a significant shift as the organization emerges from bankruptcy following a flood of sexual abuse claims and seeks to focus on inclusion.
RCMP not investigating possible foreign interference cases related to Chiu, Dong: Duheme
Canada's federal police force is not investigating any possible instances of foreign interference in the cases of former Conservative MP Kenny Chiu and Liberal-turned-Independent MP Han Dong, RCMP Commissioner Mike Duheme says.
Federal government grants B.C.'s request to recriminalize hard drugs in public spaces
The federal government is granting British Columbia's request to recriminalize hard drugs in public spaces, nearly two weeks after the province asked to end its pilot project early over concerns of public drug use.