Ontario Delivering High Quality Patient Care, Faster

Ministry of Health and Long Term Care

$518 Million Boost in Hospital Funding to Reduce Wait Times and Expand Services

Toronto, ON – May 5, 2017

Ontario will invest an additional $518 million in public hospitals this year to provide faster access to health care, expand crucial services and procedures, and improve the experience of patients.

Dr. Eric Hoskins, Minister of Health and Long-Term Care, was at The Hospital for Sick Children today to announce a 3.1 per cent increase in public hospital funding proposed in the 2017 Budget. This would directly benefit patients at every public hospital across Ontario, and would:
•Provide more access to cardiac services, critical care, organ/tissue donations and transplants, rare disease care, and bariatric services, as well as support for new and redeveloped hospitals
•Improve access and reduce wait times for chemotherapy, stroke treatments, hip and knee replacements, and Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRIs)
•Support service delivery by hospitals in high-growth communities, as well as small, medium, northern and rural hospitals, and mental health and stand-alone paediatric hospitals.

Ontario is increasing access to care, reducing wait times and improving the patient experience through its Patients First Action Plan for Health Care and OHIP+: Children and Youth Pharmacare – protecting health care today and into the future.