NDP’s Horwath commits to Health Care You Can Count On

Queen’s Park – Ontario NDP Leader Andrea Horwath says it’s time for the Liberal government to stop cutting hospital care and ensure that Ontario families can count on their health care system to be there when they need it. Horwath says hospital funding should be stable, predictable and, at a minimum, must keep pace with inflation and population growth.

“The last thing people should have to worry about is their family’s health care. Ontarians deserve health care they can count on, and that’s what the NDP is determined to deliver,” said Horwath. “Instead of stability, people are watching as hundreds of nurses are fired, hospital beds are closed, and services are being cut across Ontario because this Liberal government is forcing hospitals to make decisions based on dollars and deficits, instead of what’s best for patients.”

More than 1,200 nursing positions have been cut since the start of 2015 because hospital base funding was frozen by Kathleen Wynne for four straight years and budget 2016 contains a mere one percent increase. By refusing to ensure hospital funding keeps up with inflation and the cost of serving a growing population, the Liberals are forcing hospitals to cut patient care and layoff frontline health care workers.

“14 million Ontarians rely on the health care system to be there when they need it. Whether it is parents worried about a sick child, or our growing senior population who need more care to stay healthy, we all count on our hospitals and emergency rooms.  Health care is this government’s silent crisis,” continued Horwath. “Ontario can do so much better. We need to make sure that, at the very least; hospital funding keeps up with inflation and population growth. Ontarians deserve health care they can count on.”

Horwath was joined by Natalie Mehra from the Ontario Health Coalition and Shirley Roebuck, Chair of the Sarnia-Lambton Health Coalition and a retired Registered Nurse.