Local investments connect people to paramedics and ambulance services faster
NEWMARKET — The Ontario government is making investments in York Region to connect local residents and families to faster, more convenient public health services and emergency care in their communities. “Our government is strengthening all aspects of the health care system, and these investments in York Region are another important step we are taking to connect people to care closer to home,” said Sylvia Jones, Deputy Premier and Minister of Health. “By building a stronger public health system and ensuring quicker access to emergency care, people in the region will see real improvements in the care they receive, as we continue to build a better health system for years to come.”
To connect people to emergency care faster and increase the availability of paramedics and ambulances, Ontario is increasing land ambulance funding for York Region by over seven per cent, bringing the province’s total investment in the region this year to over $50.4 million.
To help reduce delays paramedics encounter dropping off patients at a hospital, Ontario is investing nearly $2.4 million in York Region to allow nurses and other eligible health care providers to be hired and dedicated to the smooth and timely offloading of ambulance patients in hospitals. This will allow paramedics to get back out into the community faster and respond to calls. The funding is part of the province’s investment of an additional $51 million in the Dedicated Offload Nurses Program over the next three years to help municipalities cover around 800,000 dedicated hours to support offloading ambulance patients in the emergency department.
“With the Your Health plan, our government continues to make it easier for residents and families to access care closer to home, including right here in Newmarket-Aurora and in York Region as a whole,” said Dawn Gallagher Murphy, Parliamentary Assistant to the Minister of Health and MPP for Newmarket-Aurora. “These local investments build on the bold and innovative actions taken to date and make sure our communities in the region will continue to have the health care they need now and into the future.”
Ontario is also providing funding of nearly $65 million this year in York Region to help local public health providers cover increased costs, allowing them to focus on building a robust local public health sector that provides more convenient access to public health services that protect and promote the health and well-being of the community. With Your Health: A Plan for Connected and Convenient Care, the government continues to take action to strengthen the health care system so that it is responsive and evolving to meet the health needs and priorities of people living in Ontario, no matter where they live.