Ford government signals coming cuts and privatization in health care

NDP health critic France Gélinas released the following statement in response to a chilling speech by Doug Ford’s health minister, Christine Elliott, which signaled looming cuts and privatization in Ontario’s health care system:

“Let’s be clear – you can’t cut your way to better health care. Removing vital funding from hospitals and forcing front line staff to do more with less hurts families that are already struggling to get the care they need. Today’s speech by Ford’s health minister is chilling, and signals that even more funding cuts are on the way, and that the Ford government will be looking for places to privatize our health care system.

Ford has already cut over $330 million from annual mental health funding, which means even more children and adults will end up in crisis, and in hospital emergency rooms. And after pledging to “leave no stone unturned,” when it comes to privatization, Christine Elliott’s speech was an obvious warning that Ford’s privatization agenda includes our public health care system.

For years, Liberal cuts and funding freezes did deep damage to our health care system, and Doug Ford’s cuts and privatization would take health care from bad to worse. That means longer wait times, and more overcrowding.

Ontario families deserve so much better. We need real investments into our hospitals and health care so families can count on the patient care they need, without the wait.”