{"id":3830,"date":"2016-02-01T15:06:22","date_gmt":"2016-02-01T20:06:22","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.ontariohealthcoalition.ca\/?p=3830"},"modified":"2021-07-21T16:35:11","modified_gmt":"2021-07-21T20:35:11","slug":"update-pre-budget-hearings-pics-last-stop-toronto","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.ontariohealthcoalition.ca\/index.php\/update-pre-budget-hearings-pics-last-stop-toronto\/","title":{"rendered":"UPDATE: <\/FONT> Pre-budget hearing rallies!"},"content":{"rendered":"

(February 1, 2016)<\/p>\n

Ontario Health Coalition Executive Director presented to the Standing Committee on Finance and Economic Affairs at the Ontario Legislature this morning. Here is the Ontario Health Coalition’s submission with the most recent hospital spending, nursing levels (all nurse classifications), and hospital beds and overcrowding statistics. Please share with those who might be interested. Thank you to the hundreds of people who came out to our rally outside the hearings at the Ontario Legislature at noon.<\/i><\/p>\n

Ontario Health Coalition Submission to the Standing Committee on Finance & Economic Affairs<\/h3>\n

Priority Recommendation: Stop Devastating Hospital Cuts & Restore Funding to Average of Other Provinces<\/strong>
\n<\/b><\/span>
\nHospital global funding increases have been set below the rate of inflation since at least 2008. Since 2012\/13 global hospital budget funding levels have been frozen. In sum, this means that global hospital budgets have been cut in real dollar terms (inflation-adjusted dollars) for 8 years in a row. This is the longest period of hospital cuts in Ontario\u2019s history and there is no end in sight. The evidence shows that the hospital funding formula and austerity measures that have cut global hospital budgets in real dollar terms for almost a decade, have resulted in a dramatic reduction in needed services. By key measures, Ontario now ranks at the bottom of comparable jurisdictions in key measures of hospital care levels.<\/p>\n

As a result, hospitals large and small in every geographic region of Ontario are cutting needed services. Hospitals are now at dangerous levels of overcrowding; staffing levels have dropped precipitously; and patients are suffering as they are forced to wait longer and drive further to access care and are discharged before they are stable.<\/p>\n

A sampling of recent cuts:<\/strong>
\n<\/b><\/span><\/p>\n