(October 23, 2017)<\/p>\n
By: Orillia Packet<\/p>\n
The Ontario government announced the addition of more than 1,200 new hospital beds Monday morning, 56 of which will be found in Barrie, Orillia and northern Simcoe County.<\/p>\n
The funding, revealed by Minister of Health Dr. Eric Hoskins in Toronto, will see more than 2,000 additional beds and spaces available this year to improve access to care for patients and families, and reduce wait times in hospitals, at home and in the community, a news release stated.<\/p>\n
Locally, that means 36 new beds at Royal Victoria Health Centre in Barrie and 12 at Orillia Soldiers’ Memorial Hospital. Collingwood General and Marine Hospital and Georgian Bay General Hospital will each receive four new beds.<\/p>\n
An additional 13 beds\/spaces will be added throughout the region, as well as 21 short-term transitional care spaces in Barrie in Brechin.<\/p>\n
Simcoe County will see 48 new supportive housing units, with a further 12 heading to Muskoka.<\/p>\n
The Ontario Health Coalition slammed the measures as a “band-aid” solution, arguing about a quarter of the money announced Monday had already been promised through the budget, and that the number of beds were insufficient to meet demand.<\/p>\n