A report by Peterborough health officials says any forced amalgamation of health units in the province could damage the delivery of services.
The report says the city's board of health does not oppose a merger with other units to create larger entities.
It says that could improve access to some services, but it says any changes need to be negotiated and not forced.
The report released today at a rural municipalities conference in Toronto comes as the province consults on its plan to cut the number of public health units from 35 to 10.