Ontario announces relief for hospitals

Minister of Health and Long-Term Care George Smitherman announced today that the province is investing $667.2 million funding boost for Ontario hospitals to address reducing wait times and improving access to quality health care for all Ontarians.

Full details in news release below.

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RICHMOND HILL - New beds, more surgeries, and lower wait times are being targeted with a $667.2 million funding boost for Ontario hospitals - a 4.9 per cent increase over last year.

This investment includes increases in base funding to all hospitals as well as $295 million in targeted funding to help Ontario hospitals deliver shorter wait times and improved access to quality health care.

The $295 million investment includes:

- Funding to help increase access to hospital services in Ontario's fastest growing communities

- New or expanded services, including additional beds, in newly renovated or developed hospitals

- Continued funding for surgeries, MRI and CT scans as part of Ontario's Wait Time Strategy

- Sustaining services in communities with unique needs, such as geographic isolation and a smaller population base

An additional $170 million will be allocated to hospitals later in 2008-2009, making the overall increase 6.1 per cent for this fiscal year.

Emergency Room wait time reductions will be a target of these resources.

Today's announcement marks the earliest-ever detailed allocation of hospital funding, allowing hospitals and Local Health Integration Networks to know how much money that they can count on for the year.

QUOTES

"This is all about strengthening one of the cornerstones of our health care system," said George Smitherman, Deputy Premier and Minister of Health and Long-Term Care. "We will continue to work with our hospital partners and Local Health Integration Networks to ensure that the health care needs of Ontarians are met."

"Ontario's Local Health Integration Networks have worked very closely with our hospitals to plan the delivery of hospital services," said Ken Morrison, Chairman of the Board of Directors, Central LHIN. "We are confident the hospital system is well placed to provide effective and timely health care for all."

QUICK FACTS

- Hospital funding in Ontario has increased from $10.9 billion in 2003-04 to $14.4 billion in 2008-09, an overall 31.3 per cent increase.

- Ontario has 150 public hospital corporations on 227 sites and five specialty psychiatric hospitals.

- Since 2003, over 100 new hospital projects have been completed or are underway.


LEARN MORE

Find more detailed information on hospital allocations for each Ontario's Local Health Integration Network (http://www.health.gov.on.ca/).

Read the 2008 Ontario Budget (http://ontariobudget.ca/english/) and learn more about Investments in Health Care
(http://ontariobudget.ca/english/bk3.html).

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