Opposition critical of Ontario government missing healthcare funding deadline
The Ford government is facing continued pressure to fully fund nurse practitioners.
The federal government gave provinces until April 1st to do so.
Liberal Health Critic Adil Shamji (AH-dill SHAM-jee) says it leaves patients on the hook.
He says the Health Minister’s need for more time moves the issue from noncompliance to open defiance.
“It doesn’t matter if medically necessary care is delivered by a physician or a nurse practitioner. Regardless, you shouldn’t have to pay for it,” says Shamji.
NDP leader Marit (MAR-it) Stiles says the missed deadline hurts small and northern communities, which rely on nurse practitioner services the most.
“When there’s no family doctor in a community, it is nurse practitioners, and it is nurse practitioner-led clinics who pick up the slack,” says Stiles.
“But because they’re not funded by your government, it is actually rural residents, northerners and people all across this province that are paying out of pocket for primary care.
Health Minister Sylvia Jones notes that they are providing $3.4. billion into primary care, which includes nurse practitioners.
She adds Ontario intends to comply.
“I have made it very clear that Ontario will be in compliance, even though the federal government has given no funding and has given no direction, so we are going to see different processes in all of the Canadian jurisdictions,” says Jones.
“Ontario will lead. We will continue to lead, and we will make sure that we are in compliance because we are already doing that.”
