A Niagara politician says the Ontario government's plan to relieve pressure on the health care system will rip families apart.
Niagara Falls NDP MPP and critic of the long-term care file, Wayne Gates, says the government's plan to move patients in hospital to nursing homes not of their choosing is cruel.
The Ford government announced today that Ontario hospital patients awaiting spots in long-term care will be charged $400 a day starting in November if they refuse to be moved to a nursing home not of their choosing.
The government says patients in southern Ontario can be moved up to 70 kilometres away, while those in northern Ontario may be moved up to 150 kilometres away to a long-term care home not of their choosing -- starting next Wednesday.
However, the province says couples will not be separated and that religious, ethnic and language preferences will be respected.
Gates say it is a sad day for the province's universal healthcare system, and a sad day for the most vulnerable.
Gates issued this statement today:
"They said we were ‘fear-mongering’ and now we know the truth. After forcing through #Bill7, without public consultation, the government has finally come clean. They will force ALC patients in hospital out of their community by 70km or pay $400 a day. We all know what this is about—it’s about a government that has failed to address the crisis in our hospitals and their solution is to rip families apart throughout this province. It's cruel, it’s unimaginable and it will have serious negative outcomes for seniors and those with disabilities. And make no mistake—the homes that will see an increase in residents because of this disgusting legislation will likely be for-profit homes. This is a sad day for our universal healthcare system, it’s a sad day for the most vulnerable in our province and it’s a sad day for Ontario."