Ontario's doctors concerned as government misses opportunity to prioritize health care

TORONTO, Nov. 26, 2015 /CNW/ - Ontario's doctors believe the Ontario government is continuing on the wrong track when it comes to health care.

The fall economic statement was an opportunity for the government to prioritize improving the high quality, patient-focused care people in Ontario expect and deserve. Instead, health care has been marginalised and access to quality, patient-focused care is further threatened.

Ontario's growing and aging population is putting an increasing strain on our publicly-funded health-care system and the underfunding of the health care needs of Ontarians is simply not sustainable.

Ontario's doctors are committed to working together to protect the quality, patient-focused care Ontario's families deserve. We want to get back to the table with government so we can work together to put patients first, but we need a binding dispute resolution mechanism to be able to do that.

We know Ontarians trust doctors when it comes to making decisions about the health-care system. A recent poll commissioned for the Ontario Medical Association found that 85 per cent of Ontarians trust doctors to make decisions about the future of the health-care system. Only 15 per cent of respondents trust the provincial government to do the same.

The decisions Ontario makes today will impact patients' access to quality care in the years to come. Ontario's doctors are concerned by the almost seven per cent in unilateral cuts since February to physician services expenditures, which cover all the care doctors provide to patients.

Ontario's doctors understand the challenging fiscal position the government is in. We have worked together in the past to find savings while still protecting patient-focused care.

The government's cuts to necessary funding for physician services are threatening access to the quality, patient-focused care Ontarians need and expect. 

Dr. Mike Toth, President

The Ontario Medical Association (OMA) represents more than 34,000 physicians and medical students across the province. Ontario's doctors work closely with patients to encourage healthy living practices and illness prevention. In addition to delivering front-line services to patients, Ontario's doctors play a significant role in helping shape health care policy, as well as implementing initiatives that strengthen and enhance Ontario's health care system.

SOURCE Ontario Medical Association

OMA Media Relations, 416-340-2862 or 1-800-268-7215 ext. 2862, Email: [email protected]; Nadia Daniell-Colarossi, Manager Media Relations, Office: 416-340-2970 or 1-800-268-7215 ext. 2970, Mobile: [phone], Email: [email protected]