Public health units to get funding increase
The province has announced new funding for the healthcare sector.
Health Minister Sylvia Jones says starting next year, public health units will get an annual one percent funding increase for the next three years.
She also announced the province is offering funding to public health units willing to merge.
"Building a stronger public health system, with more convenient and consistent access to public health services, is one more way our government is connecting people in Ontario to health care closer to home," said Jones. "The pandemic showed that we need a stronger public health system and this increased funding will help to create a more connected public health system that will support Ontario communities for years to come."
In addition, the province will return to being responsible for three quarters of the share of the public health cost, with municipalities covering the rest.
Public health units have been urging the province to return to that funding level, to make it easier to plan and budget.
Jones also noted the province is investing $51 million into the Dedicated Offload Nurses Program over the next three years.
This is being done to help reduce delays paramedics encounter when dropping patients off at the hospital.
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