NDP releases more documents showing hospital overcrowding across Ontario

NDP obtains more FOI docs showing occupancy well above safe levels in Brantford, unfunded beds in Peterborough

The Ontario NDP has released new information that shows constant overcrowding at both Brantford General Hospital and Peterborough Regional Health Centre – the latest in a long string of internal documents obtained by the NDP that show hospitals around the province are horribly overcrowded and being forced to treat Ontarians in hallways and broom closets.

In light of these shocking statistics, Ontario NDP Leader Andrea Horwath has again this week called on the Liberal government to undo the damage they have done to Ontario’s hospitals.

“The Liberal government is forcing these hospitals to operate well above safe capacity,” said Horwath. “Hospital administrators and frontline health care workers are doing everything they can with what they’ve been given by the Liberal government, but it’s not enough.”

The documents the NDP released were acquired through Freedom of Information requests. They show Brantford General Hospital operating above safe capacity in January, February and March 2017, with acute care beds operating as high as 120 per cent in January 2017 and mental health beds reaching 108 per cent capacity.

Similarly overcapacity, Peterborough Regional Health Centre recently announced that it is opening 24 unfunded beds just to try and alleviate the overcrowding crisis – at a cost of $1.8 million this year alone.

“According to the Peterborough hospital – the money to operate these beds is being diverted from their reserve fund – a fund specifically earmarked for investment in hospital capital and infrastructure,” said NDP Health critic MPP France Gelinas. “The hospital needs $4 million a year, every year, just to keep these beds open. Will the premier commit right now to funding these additional beds so that people in Peterborough get the care they need?”

Internal documents previously released by the NDP show similar overcrowding and hallway medicine in communities around the province, including Brampton, Etobicoke, Peterborough, Kitchener and numerous Toronto Hospitals.

Horwath said Liberal cuts and freezes in hospitals on top of serious cuts by the last Conservative government have created the mess in our hospital system.

“The last Conservative government fired 6,000 nurses, closed 28 hospitals and over 7,000 hospital beds. Then Wynne let down patients, families and health care workers with frozen hospital budgets and further cuts, including underfunding hospitals by at least $300 million this year alone,” said Horwath.

Horwath has committed to properly fund Ontario hospitals, including a guarantee that hospital funding will always – at a minimum – keep up with inflation, population growth, and the unique health needs of each community, each year. Horwath has also called for a moratorium on layoffs of nurses and frontline care providers, and introduced a plan to create Ontario’s first universal pharmacare program. Providing drug coverage for everyone – regardless of age, income or health history – can improve health outcomes, and reduce demand on emergency and hospital services.