NDP to Ford: Stop downloading health care costs to municipalities like London

LONDON – NDP MPPs Terence Kernaghan (London North Centre), Peggy Sattler (London West), and Teresa Armstrong (London-Fanshawe) released a statement following news that London Health Sciences Centre (LHSC) will be forced to ask the City of London for help to fund a $3 billion master plan, with no provincial help incoming:

“The Ford government has repeatedly refused to increase provincial spending for health care and hospitals, and we are seeing the dire impacts of that decision as London Children’s Hospital cancelled surgeries just last week.

Mr. Ford knows that our hospitals desperately need support and funding to keep staff from leaving the profession in droves. Instead of spending a single new penny on health in the Fall Economic Statement, Ford has decided that municipalities like the City of London should be the ones to foot the bill for significant undertakings like the master planning at London Health Sciences Centre. Today’s Financial Accountability Office report confirmed that Ford’s shocking underspending on health care has continued despite the crisis in our hospitals.

Why is Ford shortchanging health care and making the people of London pay for LHSC’s master planning?

Doug Ford has the responsibility to invest in our public health care system. Instead, he’s passing the buck to cities like London.”