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Hamilton, ON – Federal and provincial cuts to health care funding will strain Hamilton area residents and patients. The Ontario government’s funding for program and delivery service will decrease by $25 million for the year 2015-2016. This is on top of the $1.5 billion shortfall that the region faces over the next 10 years because the Harper government refused to sign a new health accord with the provinces.

“These cuts mean that the people of Hamilton-Niagara will not have access to the medical care they need.  Urgent hospital care will be most affected as local hospitals – now into the fourth year of funding freeze and cuts – continue to lose beds and services,” says Dave Murphy, president of CUPE 7800 that represents Hamilton area health care workers.

“And without a new federal health care accord, we will see $36 billion less for Medicare over the next 10 years. This is not acceptable,” added CUPE National President, Paul Moist. “Over 87 per cent of Canadians – in every region of the country and across party lines – support public solutions to make health care stronger. What we’re missing is real federal leadership to protect our public health care system.”

Moist and Murphy will hold a press conference on Friday, Oct. 24 to outline the impact of the cuts on patient care and local hospital services. Base funding for Hamilton hospitals has been frozen since 2012, while demand for hospital services is increasing. Over the last eight years $135 million has been cut from Hamilton Health Sciences (HHS), despite a growing and ageing population, an over 40 per cent jump in emergency care, a 26 per cent increase in ambulatory clinic care and nearly five per cent more acute patient care provided.

When: Friday, October 24
11 a.m.

Where: Hamilton General Hospital
237 Barton St E
Hamilton, ON
By the emergency entrance

For more information:
Willy Blomme
CUPE Media Relations
 613-852-1494

Stella Yeadon
CUPE Communications
 416-559-9300