Hospitals Backgrounders, Fact Sheets & Briefing Notes

BRIEFING NOTE: Health care funding briefing note: putting the fall economic statement in context

(November 2, 2023) Today, the Ford government will release its fall economic statement. This briefing note is intended to give context with which to assess the claims of the government. As we write, Ontario is in the worst health care crisis in memory. The most urgent services in local public hospitals are facing repeated and […]

BRIEFING NOTE: Sampling of Recent Ontario Hospital Service Closures

(September 15, 2023) The following briefing note gives a sampling of local hospital emergency, ICU, birthing and other vital service closures across Ontario in 2023. There are many more. Dr. David Savage has been tracking Ontario emergency department closures. He found 848 emergency department closures in 2022. In 2023, up until the end of August […]

RELEASE & BRIEFING NOTE: The Ford government lied to the public re. their privatization of public hospital services: Health Coalition demands Ford stop their privatization of our hospitals, kicks off major campaign to save our local public hospitals

(October 26, 2022) Toronto –The Ontario Health Coalition released a brief today charging that the Ford government lied to the public about its privatization of Ontario’s public hospital services. The Coalition reported that the Ford government significantly increased funding to private clinics while at the same time denying that they were expanding the private clinics. […]

FACT CHECKER & RELEASE: Furious at the “grotesque” ageism and violation of human rights, advocates respond to Ford government’s planned regulations to push elderly patients out of hospital

(September 15, 2022) Toronto – The Ford government has released its regulations under the euphemistically titled More Beds, Better Care Act (formerly Bill 7) today. The regulations are the details under the legislation to provide new powers to push elderly patients and people with chronic care needs out of hospitals, overriding their right to consent. […]

FACT CHECKER & RELEASE: Ford Government’s Claims Re. Forcing Elderly Patients into Long-Term Care in Contravention of their Right to Consent

(August 25, 2022) Toronto – Here are the facts about the Ford government’s new legislation, Bill 7 – More Beds, Better Care Act, 2022, which was introduced in the Legislature last week and is currently under debate. The government has made an array of claims, some of which have been printed in major media stories, […]

RELEASE: Doug Ford’s new legislation being pushed through the Legislature gives new powers to force the elderly & persons with disabilities into substandard long-term care homes: “morally repugnant”

(August 19, 2022) Advocates and experts spoke with one voice today decrying the new law that the Ford government introduced yesterday and intends to pass within just two weeks. The new law, disingenuously titled “More Beds, Better Care Act” gives new powers to force the elderly and persons with disabilities who are waiting in hospitals […]

FACT CHECKER & RELEASE: Health Coalition response to Ford government’s plans to move seniors out of hospitals & privatize hospital diagnostics and surgeries to for-profit clinics and hospitals

(August 18, 2022) The Ford government released what it called a five-point health care plan this morning in a press conference. In summary: On COVID-19 there was nothing new. On the unprecedented staffing crisis in Ontario’s hospitals, long-term care and home care, there was another in a long string of reannouncements of plans to bring […]

FACT SHEET: The Privatization of Ontario’s Public Hospital Services

(March 8, 2022) The Ford government’s privatization plans The Ford government has continued plans to privatize health care by contracting private facilities to perform surgeries and other procedures such as diagnostic imaging. Taking it further, on Tuesday, February 1, the Ford government announced its plans to allow private clinics (called “Independent Health Facilities”) to operate private hospitals. […]

JUST THE FACTS: Facts About Health Care, Cuts & Privatization

(March 1, 2022) Here are fact sheets on health care cuts & privatization, with sources for all data: Why Not Privatize Our Public Health Care Services Fightback to Save Public Health Care & Stop Privatization Long-Term Care Privatization Privatization of Ontario’s Public Hospital Services Home Care Privatization Privatization of COVID-19 Testing in Ontario Fast Facts […]

RELEASE & BRIEFING NOTE: Ontario Health Coalition Demands Answers from Ford Government on Long-Term Care & Hospital Crisis

(January 13, 2022) Toronto — The Ontario Health Coalition issued a statement today demanding that the Ford government explain what it is going to do about the spiralling crisis in Ontario’s long-term care homes and hospitals, and answer for their lack of preparedness. “The failures at this point in the pandemic are inexcusable,” said Natalie […]

RELEASE: Ontario Budget: Health Coalition is Watching for Sufficient Health Funding, Strings Attached in For-Profit LTC & A Stop to the Ford Government’s Privatization of Health Care

(March 24, 2021) Toronto – The Health Coalition said today that the funding numbers for health care in the budget are going to look huge of course, due to the pandemic, but the Coalition will be watching to make sure that funding is indeed enough. Equally important to the amount of funding, are strings attached […]

RELEASE & BACKGROUNDER: Health Coalition Demands that Ford Government Stop Privatizing Health Care Under Cover of COVID-19: “There is no excuse not to use reopen & ramp up existing capacity in public system”, Coalition will do everything in its power to stop the undermining of public health care

(September 24, 2020) Toronto – The Health Coalition expressed deep concern about the Ford government’s privatization of health care services, the lack of a coherent plan for a second-wave of COVID-19, and cuts and layoffs at public hospitals while the government shifts funding to private companies for COVID-19 related services. On Monday, Premier Ford said, […]

RELEASE & BACKGROUNDER: Province Ignored Repeated Warnings and Evidence Leading to Yesterday’s Declaration of “State of Emergency” in Brampton Hospital, Similar Issues Apply Across Ontario

(January 24, 2020) Following the city’s declaration of a health care emergency in Brampton, on the heels of CBC’s release of new hospital overcrowding data, the Ontario Health Coalition revealed repeated warnings and reports from the District Health Council, thousands of Brampton residents, the Ontario Health Coalition and other groups showing that the community’s hospital […]

BRIEFING NOTE: Ontario Health Coalition Briefing Note on Ontario Cabinet Shuffle: Deep Concerns about Ideological Positions of New Minister of Long-Term Care & Associate Minister of Mental Health & Addictions

(June 21, 2019) Toronto – In his press conference announcing the cabinet shuffle, Premier Doug Ford claimed that more than 80 percent of his platform had been implemented. The Health Coalition notes that nothing could be further than the truth when it comes to health care. The Coalition also raised concerns about the pro-privatization, anti-public health […]

RELEASE, ANALYSIS & BRIEFING NOTE: Health Care Omnibus Bill Sets Up Ontario for Health System Mega-Mergers & Privatization: Worse than the Leaked Draft, Health Coalition Warns

(Updated: April 1, 2019) Click here for our submission to the Standing Committee on Social Policy regarding Bill 74 (April 2019) Click here for update on health omnibus bill hearings (March 2019) Click here for printable version of health omnibus bill briefing note (March 2019) Click here for printable version of health omnibus bill media […]

BRIEFING NOTE: Pre-Budget Note

(April 26, 2017) In a speech April 13 to the Empire Club, Ontario Finance Minister Charles Sousa reported that in every corner of Ontario he heard from residents, civic leaders and businesses that health care and public hospitals are top priority issues, and he promised significant investments in this year’s budget. These increases will follow […]

RELEASE & BACKGROUND: Ontario Government Responsible for Overwhelmed Hospital Emergency Departments: Critical Bed Shortages “Systemic and Pervasive”

(January 10, 2017) Reports of critical and pervasive hospital bed shortages are streaming in from across Ontario. In Brantford, hospital officials recently reported the “emergency department is overwhelmed”. At Lakeridge Health, all four hospitals across Durham are so full that hospital managers set up an emergency “command centre”. In Ottawa and London health coalition members […]

CALL-OUT: November 21 Giant Rally at Queen’s Park to STOP the private clinics

(October 24, 2014) STOP private clinics SAVE our local public hospitals 12 p.m. Friday November 21 Giant Rally @ Ontario Legislature, Queen’s Park Toronto

BRIEFING NOTE: New Legal Regulations Planned by Ontario’s Liberal Government to Cut Community Hospital Services and Expand Private Clinics

(October 8, 2013) Ontario’s Liberal government has announced plans to bring in new legal regulations to expand the use of private clinics to take hospital services out of our community hospitals. Is this the end of our community hospitals as we know them? In the Ontario government’s vision for health care, community hospitals are the […]

FACT SHEET: Comparison of Public Hospitals Act to Independent Health Facilities Act

(October 8, 2013) Item Under Public Hospitals Act Under IHFA Comparison Power to approve new facilities, and sell, lease or dispose of facilities. Minister must approve new hospitals. Minister must approve articles before they are filed under the Not-for-Profit Corporations Act. (These establish the name and location of the hospital, among other provisions.) Minister must approve expansions, […]

RELEASE: Briefing Notes on Ontario’s Hospital Cuts and Restructuring 2008/2009

(December 2, 2008) A major round of hospital cuts and restructuring is underway in every health region in the province causing major layoffs, privatization and threatening local Emergency Rooms, birthing facilities and hospital beds. This new briefing note by the Ontario Health Coalition examines the cuts region by region.

Backgrounder: McGuinty Government Wiping Out Elected Hospital Boards

(October 29, 2008) KEY FACTS: The McGuinty government is using its extraordinary powers under the Public Hospitals Act with unprecedented frequency to appoint Supervisors to take over community hospitals. Hospital Supervisors are appointed by Cabinet and are given Terms of Reference by Cabinet. They report directly to the Minister of Health. In three communities recently, […]

SACK GOLDBLATT MITCHELL LLP MEMORANDUM

(May 8, 2007) On April 26, 2007 the Ministry of Health and Long Term Care (the Ministry) filed the record of its approvals for the William Osler Health Centre (WOHC) P3 hospital with the Ontario Divisional Court despite the determined efforts by the private consortium involved in the P3 to prevent its details from being […]

Urgent P3 Hospital Update

(April 1, 2006) Contents Upcoming Plebiscites & Pictures from the Current Campaigns Plebiscite Results in Hamilton & Cross-Ontario Totals Updates on P3 projects in Sarnia, Quinte, Trillium, London St. Jo’s and Sudbury, Woodstock, North Bay and Sault Ste. MarieWhat is Being Accomplished? The Good News and The Bad News The Ontario Federation of Labour rally […]

FACT SHEET: Hospital Cuts and Restructuring: A Closer Look

(January 31, 2006) FACT SHEET

P3s -SIGN CAMPAIGN RESOURCE PAGE for local STOP THE P3 HOSPITAL campaigns

(October 12, 2005) Action Resources MS Powerpoint Show Presentation prepared by Marilyn Birmingham of Kingston Health Coalition (PPT version) MS Word Outline Option This is a text outline version of the slide presentation. For those who are unable to open the Powerpoint version. Prepared by Marilyn Birmingham of Kingston Health Coalition (WORD outline) Sign Request […]