Ford government pledges to end hallway health care

The Ford government is pledging $27 billion to end hallway health care.

Ontario’s Health Minister says the money will be spent over 10 years on 3,000 new beds and improving hospitals.

The New Democrats say the investment is not as much as it seems.

The announcement by Health Minister Christine Elliot at the new mental health emergency unit at St. Joseph’s Hospital in Toronto.

“These new investments will help build more than 3,000 new beds and spaces in hospitals and in doing so will directly help end hallway healthcare.”

Elliott says the goal is to create an integrated, wrap around system, where different healthcare providers will be able to connect and provide better and faster care .

“If someone is discharged from hospital but needs home care, right now they don’t often know who will be providing the care, when it will be provided, or what type of care is being provided.with the system that we are creating by the time the person leaves the hospital they will have the answers to all of those questions.”

Elliott says the money will also go towards improving neglected healthcare facilities in the province.

NDP leader Andrea Horwath says the PC’s are actually spending less on healthcare.

“I think people need to know that they are reducing the amount of health infrastructure funding but $1 billion compared to last year and $2 billion compared to the year before. So this is another reduction in government investment in healthcare infrastructure.”

The Ford government’s new healthcare plan could see pharmacists prescribe treatments for minor issues, as well as potentially expanding the duties of nurse practioners and optometrists.