Hon. Dalton McGuinty

Premier of Ontario

Legislative Building

Queen’s Park

Toronto, ON  M7A 1A1

August 2, 2005

Dear Premier McGuinty:

Recently I have read several articles in various newspapers about your efforts to pull together other premiers in fighting for a fair and equitable level of transfer payments for all provinces.  I have also noted your intention to be persistent in closing the $23 billion funding gap faced by Ontarians. I want to commend you for your persistence and for fighting for fairness for all Ontarians.  I wish you well in your efforts to secure a fair and just level of funding for our province.

I also recently read another article about your plans to invest in the Montfort hospital.  With a sizeable and vibrant Francophone community in Ontario, your goal to ensure that Francophone Ontarians can access health care services in their own language is to be commended.  I also took note that during the same announcement, the Minister of Health and Long-Term Care stated how the Ottawa region is now receiving a “disproportionate” share of money for hospital rebuilding and this was “appropriate given that Eastern Ontario was underrepresented in terms of health care services”.

Clearly principles of equity and fairness are guiding your government’s decision-making.

As such, on behalf of the more than three million residents residing in the four 905 regions of Durham, Halton, Peel and York, Ontario’s fastest growing communities, I am asking you to please bring the principles of fairness and equity to the issue of health care services in these regions.  Premier, anyway you slice it – on a regional per capita basis or on a LHIN per capita basis, using current market share or optimal market share, by including or excluding regions that would inflate the provincial average per capita funding, using provincial government hospital funding data or sector data, and using either 1996 or 2001 Census population information – these four 905 regions are significantly under funded for health care services when compared to the rest of Ontario.  Not only is the region under funded on a per capita basis but the per capita gap is growing and has grown each year since 2003 resulting in more than a $600 million annual funding gap.

The impact of this under funding is now having a telling impact on healthcare services for those who live in the 905 regions.  I enclose a report that notes the impact including that rates of access to care are lower than the provincial average while some wait times are longer.

Investing in the four 905 regions is not just about improving local access to care, it is also about translating into action your Places to Grow strategy.  Part of that strategy speaks about creating “complete communities” which no doubt includes local access to health care services.  As you know, the 905 regions surrounding Toronto comprise almost half of the priority and emerging communities identified in the strategy.

Before the end of the year, the Minister of Health and Long-Term Care will be announcing, “growth funding” for hospitals.  This is a wonderful opportunity to demonstrate your commitment to principles of fairness and equity.  Providing targeted and adequate growth funding to support health care in Ontario’s fastest growing communities will support your Places to Grow Strategy.  Lower-cost 905 hospitals can implement your wait time strategies cost-effectively. Most importantly, over one quarter of Ontarians will see improved access to health care services and services close to home.

You said recently that it is not the more things change the more things remain the same but rather, under your government, the more things change, the more things need not remain the same.  This is a good thing for the residents of Durham, Halton, Peel and York, who like others, would like to be treated fairly and equitably. 

On behalf of the three million residents living in Ontario’s fastest growing communities, this fall when you invest in hospital care for Ontario’s high growth communities please ensure that the level of funding is adequate.  Please also recognize that capital investments to accommodate growth are key.

I would be happy to meet with your staff to share our ideas about the opportunities and benefits of investing in health care services in high growth regions.

Again, I wish you well in your efforts to secure a fair share and equitable federal funds for Ontarians.

Sincerely,

ORIGINAL SIGNED BY:

Tariq Asmi

Executive Director

GTA/905 Healthcare Alliance