The Ontario government has released updates on last year’s “Action Plan for Health Care”. The changes within the past year include:
- Funding for two specialized clinics for midwife-led birth centres;
- Expanding non-profit community clinics for some procedures, starting with vision care;
- Negotiating a new two-year physicians’ services agreement that includes support for e-consults between patients, doctors and specialists;
- Developing more community-based coordinated care through 19 Health Links that are bring together health care providers to co-ordinate care for seniors and high-need patients;
- Implementing the new Seniors’ Strategy recommendations such as new supports for long-term care homes and matching every senior who wants a primary care provider with one;
- Funding three million more personal support worker hours over the next three years to assist with daily activities, and help seniors stay healthy at home which will provide home care for 90,000 more seniors;
- Increasing primary care provider house calls by 30,000;
- Modernizing funding in more than 100 hospitals to reflect population growth, clinical needs and ensure quality procedures;
- Expanding services by pharmacists so they can administer flu shots, renew and adapt existing prescriptions, and provide drugs to help patients quit smoking;
- Integrated cancer screening through programs for cervical, breast and colorectal cancer that are reminding Ontarians to get screened regularly.
For more information, you can read the news release on the Ontario government website.