Private healthcare hurting Huron-Perth residents, unions say

Posted: June 26, 2025

(June 25, 2025) By: Bill Atwood, The Beacon Herald

Nearly three quarters of Ontarians say the government should prioritize spending on public hospitals instead of private clinics.

The Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) and their Ontario Council of Hospital Unions (OCHU) arm claim around 115,500 people in Huron-Perth are disadvantaged due to healthcare That number was in addition to a Nanos poll recently commissioned by both organizations that showed nearly 75 per cent of Ontarians believe the government should prioritize spending on public hospitals, while over half believe it is unacceptable for private, for-profit clinics to charge people for medically necessary surgeries.

The poll, which was conducted by Nanos Research, surveyed 1,017 Ontarians. It found that 73 per cent of respondents want the government to prioritize spending on public hospitals, while 16 per cent believe the government should prioritize spending on both public hospitals and private, for-profit clinics.

Only four per cent believe the government should prioritize spending on private, for-profit clinics and seven percent report being unsure. Of the 213 respondents from the Southwest/Central region, 78.5 per cent said the government should prioritize spending on public hospitals, 9.8 percent said both equally, 5.5 percent said for-profit clinics should be prioritized, and 6.1 per cent were unsure.

Michael Hurley, president of OCHU-CUPE, which represents 50,000 hospital and long-term care staff, said in the press release that “this poll shows there is overwhelming opposition to this government’s plans to privatize hospital surgeries.”

The poll also found 52 per cent believe it is unacceptable for private, for-profit clinics to charge people for medically necessary surgeries, while 15 believe it is somewhat unacceptable. Only six per cent deemed it acceptable, while 20 per cent said it is somewhat acceptable. In the Southwest/Central region, 70.5 per cent feel it is unacceptable or somewhat unacceptable.

According to the poll, 72 per cent of people said they agree or somewhat agree with a 2024 Canadian Medical Association study that privatization of cataract surgeries resulted in reduced access for the poorest Ontarians while increasing access for the wealthiest Ontarians.

“The public understands that spending on private, for-profit clinics and agencies is much more expensive, comes with poorer outcomes and duplicates infrastructure and administration,” Hurley added. “The vast majority wants our resources allocated to public health care.”

Along with the poll, the union also pointed to news from healthcare advocacy organization Ontario Health Coalition, who last week filed a formal complaint to both the federal and provincial Ministries of Health, along with Health Canada on behalf of patients who they said were charged user fees for care at private clinics.

While the coalition has gathered evidence, including proof of payment and patient reports from 50 patients that are included in the complaint, it also claims it received more than 200 complaints in 2024.

The coalition pointed out that charging for care is in direct contrast to when Premier Doug Ford promised in 2023 that no Ontarian will ever have to pay with a credit card, while Hurley added that “people can’t afford to pay thousands of dollars for healthcare.”

“The great majority of Ontarians reject this expensive privatization that bakes in inequalities and greatly reduces access,” he said.

The Nanos poll surveyed 18 years of age or older between May 27 and June 1. According to Nanos, a margin of error cannot be calculated on a non-probability sample. However, for comparison purposes, they state that the probability sample of 1,017 respondents would have a margin of error of plus or minus 3.1 percentage points, 19 times out of 20.

Click here for the original article