'A track record of secrecy and failure to disclose important information to the public.'
Toronto (10 April 2008) – The Ontario Health Coalition (OHC) says Health Minister George Smitherman is failing to tell citizens the full truth about looming hospital deficits and the cost of privatization in Ontario.
“It is a small consolation that the health minister has moved from denial to finally admitting that Ontario hospitals are facing cuts,” says coalition director Natalie Mehra.
"Seventy-five hospitals are projecting deficits this year and the situation is only going to worsen next year if the McGuinty government doesn’t start to listen. In addition to the cuts in the Toronto area, communities in Cornwall, Prince Edward County, Kingston, Niagara, Sault Ste. Marie, Sudbury, Strathroy and areas should be paying particular attention.”
Mehra said the impact on the Rouge Valley Health System, where up to 220 job cuts are forecast, is only the tip of the iceberg and the government should be honest with citizens about how serious the situation has become.
“This government is developing a track record of secrecy and failure to disclose important information to the public," Mehra says.
"Hospital officials have been intimidated into keeping the full picture of deficits and service cuts secret from their own communities. The only public consultation is occurring after cuts have been decided, and the McGuinty government is hiding behind the Local Health Integration Networks (LHINs) which are appointed by cabinet and answer to the health minister,” she argues.
“The government must come clean and disclose the full range of cuts being considered across Ontario. The current level of secrecy is indefensible.
“Hospitals in Ontario have among the lowest per-person funding in the country. Our hospitals have been subjected to more rigorous scrutiny of their budgets than any other sector. Hospitals have had peer review after peer review, consultants, inspectors, a host of checks and double checks. Independent consultants’ reports show that we have the most efficient hospitals in the country – with patients pushed through as fast as possible and significant movement of care out of hospitals.”
Cuts are not necessary
Mehra says Smitherman's claim that cuts are necessary is unfounded.
“Not only is the government projecting a surplus in this year’s budget, it has poured money into for-profit health care. Why is it that when it comes to wasteful profit taking in for-profit nursing homes, or a four-tier administrative burden propping up competitive bidding in homecare, the government has no inclination to listen. But when it comes to our public hospitals the health minister is more than willing to play hardball with people’s access to care.”
The coalition cites these examples of what is wrong with for-profit health care:
- The province has paid $430 million in dividends (profits), management fees and higher interest rates for the province's first P3 hospital in Brampton, more than four times the total that the Ontario Hospital Association has reported is required for all hospitals across Ontario. In total, the government has now announced more than 34 privatized P3 hospital projects. The first five P3 hospitals in Ontario have gone more than $1 billion over budget.
- The province has given repeated flows of money to for-profit nursing homes without setting a regulated care standard to ensure that money is actually spent on care. Several years ago, Extendicare publicly reported unprecedented profits from its Ontario and Alberta operations.
The coalition has posted a deficit “hot spot” map and listing of hospital deficits in its budget release at: www.ontariohealthcoalition.ca .
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The National Union of Public and General Employees (NUPGE) is one of Canada's largest labour organizations with over 340,000 members. Our mission is to improve the lives of working families and to build a stronger Canada by ensuring that our common wealth is used for the common good. NUPGE
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