Ontario signs $3B health-care deal with feds to increase access to doctors
Ontario Premier Doug Ford has signed a $3.1-billion health-care deal with the federal government to increase access to primary care and reduce wait times.
The agreement was announced by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau late Friday morning, making Ontario the fifth province to come to an agreement with Ottawa for its share of a $200-billion health accord.
The other provinces with agreements include British Columbia, Prince Edward Island, Alberta and Nova Scotia.
The announcement comes almost a year after the two governments reached a 10-year deal in principle to pay for health care in Ontario, with an additional $46 billion in funding to the Canada Health Transfer.
At the time, Ottawa said its deal with the province included $8.4 billion and a one-time top up of $776 million to address “urgent needs” in pediatric hospitals and emergency rooms.
As part of the deal, provinces had to agree to expand access to family health services, support health workers and reduce backlogs, increase mental health and substance use support, and modernize its health-care systems to include digital tools.
It’s unclear why the new deal is for a different monetary amount.
Ontario has pledged to add hundreds of new family physicians and nurse practitioners, as well as thousands of nurses and personal support workers to fill staffing shortages. The funding will also be used to remove barriers for internationally trained doctors, add five new Youth Wellness Hubs, and address gaps in Indigenous health-care services.
This is a breaking news story. More to come.
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