Moving seniors to distant long-term care facilities is not the answer to the healthcare crisis

August 18, 2022

QUEEN'S PARK — Ontario Greens leader and Guelph MPP, Mike Schreiner, made the following statement today in response to the Ford government's legislation allowing seniors waiting for a long-term care bed to be moved from hospital to a home that is not in their community.

“This legislation is callous in its disregard for the wellbeing of ailing seniors and their loved ones awaiting relocation to the long-term facility of their choice.

Do Doug Ford and Health Minister Sylvia Jones really believe that freeing up a few hospital beds justifies the emotional stress and disruption of moving seniors to a facility hours away from their families and support networks?

Emergency departments across the province are closing because of a lack of staff who feel disrespected and unappreciated by wage and benefit caps from Bill 124. 

Once again I call on the government to move immediately to address repeal Bill 124. 

Nurses and healthcare workers must be treated with respect and that means restoring their right to negotiate fair wages, benefits and better working conditions.

Unlike the package of measures announced today, repealing Bill 124 will have an immediate positive impact on our hospital workforce.

It will slow the exodus of nurses out of the health sector or to better paid work with private nursing agencies.

And it will save hospitals millions in payments to these for-profit agencies.”

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