Ontario Doctors Have Lost Confidence in Liberal Government, Health Minster Eric Hoskins Must be Fired

QUEEN’S PARK – Today, Leader of the Official Opposition Patrick Brown and Ontario PC Health Critic Jeff Yurek joined representatives from Concerned Ontario Doctors to highlight the impact of the Liberal Government’s cuts to physician services and the broader health care sector.

“Ontario’s physicians have been working without a contract for more than two years. And in the past year alone, the Government has unilaterally imposed $815-million in cuts to physician services,” said Brown. “Not only that, but our hardworking doctors have been the target of ongoing attacks by this government.”

Concerned Ontario Doctors released their report on physician burnout within the province. The study found that:

• 78 per cent of Ontario doctors feel burnt out.

o   84 per cent of whom feel burnt out as a direct result of the Liberal Government’s unilateral actions.

• 38 per cent of our province’s doctors are considering or planning to close their medical practices and leave Ontario.
• 86 per cent of respondent doctors feel vilified by the Ontario Government.

Earlier today during Question Period, the Ontario PC Caucus highlighted the impacts of the devastating Liberal cuts, scandal, waste and mismanagement within the health care sector and called for Health Minister Eric Hoskins’ removal from his Cabinet post.

“It is clear that Minister Hoskins has lost the trust of Ontario’s doctors. If the Premier has any hope of restoring this trust and re-building the semblance of a relationship with Ontario’s doctors, the Premier must shuffle Minister Hoskins out of the Health portfolio,” added Brown.

“The cuts to physician services are just one in a long line of health cuts we have seen under this Liberal Government. Each and every cut means reduced care Ontario’s patients need, and deserve,” Brown concluded. “It means cancelled appointments and surgeries, longer waitlists, and less patient-centred care.”

“For the sake of our province’s patients, I urge the Premier to fire Minister Hoskins.”