in Chatsworth, Grey Highlands, Southgate, West Grey
June 25, 2021
Bruce-Grey-Owen Sound MPP Bill Walker has announced that local hospitals will receive an additional $5,704,000 in operating funding beginning in 2021/22.
The Ontario government is taking further action to end hallway health care and address the challenges created by the COVID-19 pandemic by increasing investments in hospitals across the province for the third straight year. Local hospitals are receiving: Grey Bruce Health Services (GBHS), with hospitals in Lion’s Head, Markdale, Meaford, Owen Sound, Southhampton and Wiarton, will receive an additional $4,708,500, which represents an increase of 3.2% to funding received in 2020/21 South Bruce Grey Health Centre (SBGHC), with hospitals in Chesley, Durham, Kincardine and Walkerton, will receive an additional $686,300 which represents an increase of 2% to funding received in 2020/21 Hanover and District Hospital will receive an additional $309,200, which represents an increase of 2% to funding received in 2020/21.
These investments build on the increased investments announced by Walker in 2019 and 2020.
“Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, our local hospitals have gone above and beyond to provide exceptional care to patients and families in Bruce-Grey-Owen Sound,” said Walker. “This new investment is just one way Ontario is supporting high-quality and timely access to health care both during the pandemic and in the future.”
Over the last three years, the Ontario government has made significant investments in Ontario’s hospitals as part of its plan to end hallway health care. This includes overall sector increases of 2% in 2019-20, 3% in 2020-2021 and most recently, 3.4% in 2021-22.
The 2021 Budget, Ontario's Action Plan: Protecting People's Health and Our Economy, outlined a total of $1.8 billion in additional investments for hospitals in 2021-22. This includes an increase of $778 million in funding to meet current and future demands for services, and ensures all publicly funded hospitals will receive a minimum one per cent increase to help them keep pace with patient needs and to increase access to high-quality care for patients and families across Ontario.
“Ontario’s hospitals have been unwavering in their commitment to protect the health and wellbeing of Ontarians, and our government is committed to ensuring that they have the resources needed to continue responding to the pandemic and meet the ongoing needs of the communities they serve,” said Christine Elliott, Deputy Premier and Minister of Health. “By increasing investments in hospitals provincewide, our government is helping to ensure that patients have access to the high-quality care they need, when and where they need it.”
The Ontario government remains committed to supporting hospitals so that they can continue to provide the care Ontarians need and deserve, today and in the future. Additional support for Ontario’s hospitals as part of Ontario’s Action Plan includes $760 million to help hospitals continue to respond to COVID‑19 and an additional $300 million to reduce surgical backlogs.
“I want to thank the Government of Ontario for continuing to make these important investments into our hospitals,” said Michael Barrett, SBGHC President and CEO. “As we navigate new challenges associated with our recovery from the pandemic, this funding increase will ensure that we can continue to provide high quality patient care at our four hospital sites now and into the future.”
“We are very grateful to receive this additional funding from the provincial government,” said GBHS President and CEO Gary Sims. “This has been an extremely unusual and expensive year for our six hospitals, and these new funds will bring stability to our organization in the year ahead, and strengthen our ability to deliver quality care in our region.”
“Hanover and District Hospital is very grateful to receive this increase in funding. It will support the hospital in our effort to deliver effort to deliver exceptional care to patients and the community that we serve,” said Hanover and District Hospital President and CEO Dana Howes.
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