Needs of GTA/905 Residents Ignored in New Hospital Funding

 Toronto:  The GTA/905 Healthcare Alliance is disappointed with the provincial government’s hospital funding announcement of June 21.  The Alliance’s analysis concludes that the needs of GTA/905 residents are again being ignored, with no hospital funding targeted to high growth regions and nothing done to close the gap in hospital funding for GTA/905 residents.

 “We acknowledge the government’s commitment to multi-year funding for Ontario hospitals, the desire for system stability, the focus on small and rural hospitals and the support for large teaching hospitals”, said Tariq Asmi, Executive Director of the GTA/905 Healthcare Alliance.  “While the government has taken steps to support these types of hospitals, it has chosen not to respond to the needs of GTA/905 residents”.

 GTA/905 hospitals received virtually the same percentage increases as hospitals in the rest of the province and limited new funding for future volumes at recently expanded hospitals.  However, funding needs for current patient demands were ignored as GTA/905 hospitals received only 15 per cent of total new provincial hospital funding even though GTA/905 hospitals serve more than 25 per cent of Ontario’s population and provide care in communities that account for 50 per cent of the province’s annual population growth. 

 “GTA/905 hospitals received almost the same operating budget increase as other hospitals.  This is ‘across the board’ funding which takes us back ten years to when the big got bigger and the small remained small regardless of the growing need for local hospital care,” said Kirk Corkery, Chair of the GTA/905 Healthcare Alliance.  “Being able to say that the hospital funding gap in the GTA/905 may not widen this year gives us little cause to celebrate.” 

 The lack of funding targeted to high growth hospitals, a lack of funding for multi-site hospitals and the historic underfunding for the GTA/905 means that many GTA/905 hospitals will have significant operating deficits this year, Corkery said. 

 “Residents are still not receiving a fair share of hospital funding compared to the rest of the province even though GTA/905 residents contribute over $570 million annually through the Ontario Health Premium,” Corkery added.  “ If the government would target even some of this premium revenue back into the GTA/905 we could start closing the funding gap and residents would not have to leave their communities to get hospital care.”

 The GTA/905 Healthcare Alliance is the collective voice of acute care and mental health hospitals across the GTA/905 region – from Oshawa to Burlington and north to Newmarket.  Alliance hospitals provide care in communities that represent more than 25 per cent of Ontario’s population.  The GTA/905 area is the fastest growing region in Ontario, accounting for more than half of Ontario’s annual population growth.  The GTA/905 Alliance represents the more than three million residents in the region to ensure that they get better care close to home.

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