The Ontario government intends to change how health care is delivered with its Local Health Integration Networks (LHINs).
Health care and community-based social service workers who advocate for quality patient care understand that the changes proposed under LHINs will compromise the quality of our public health care system. We want to stop the most destructive elements of the McGuinty Liberal’s LHINs scheme.
The LHIN plan in Bill 36 compromises our public health system. Here’s what health care workers mean when we say Stop LHINs:
STOP the erosion of patient care
The LHINs will have the power to “merge”, “transfer”,
“amalgamate” and “wind-up” health services out of
hospitals and community agencies. The remaining
health services will be rationed and re-distributed over
the vast areas of the networks. In many cases, the
sick and elderly will have less access to care in our
communities and have to travel further for services
once available locally.
STOP the for-profit model from being introduced
to all our health care services
Along with service mergers and cuts, the government
intends to set a price for many health services and put
them up for tender. Under the LHINs scheme your
health care services will be provided by the lowest
bidder, not the best quality provider.
The government is opening the door to a competitive bidding model in hospitals, long-term care and community health-related social services. It’s the same model that has destroyed community-based, non-profit home care in Ontario.
STOP the turmoil for patients and health care
In the home care sector, the same competitive bidding
model has resulted in less care and a lack of
continuity of care.
Workers lose their jobs or leave the sector in alarming numbers because of low wages, few benefits and no job security.
STOP slashing health programs and the wages of
health care workers
The proposed “integration” will cut costs by cutting and
merging services — not by controlling the real health
care cost drivers: pharmaceutical drugs
and medical equipment.
STOP the loss of local control over health service
priorities
Unelected LHIN boards appointed by the government
will get control of more than $21 billion of health
service funding. Communities will have little recourse
when health services are merged and cut from local
hospitals and agencies.
STOP the secrecy
Despite the dramatic changes planned, only four days
of public hearings are scheduled. Further, the
legislation sets no minimum requirements for public
access to LHINs meetings.
STOP the worsening regional inequalities that
LHINs will cause
LHINs cover large geographic boundaries. Smaller
community hospitals may be forced to close under the
LHINs plan, unable to compete on price with larger
urban hospitals and new private clinics. Services will
move out of communities.
STOP the new level of bureaucracy
The 14 new health networks (LHINs) will add a new
layer of bureaucracy. Each LHIN will be staffed by a
CEO, directors and contract administrators earning
large salaries – money that could be going directly to
hire more front line health care workers to provide
better patient care.
Find out more. Log onto www.stoplhins.ca.