LHINs number one priority is reducing number of people in hospitals -- Minister

In case anyone had any doubt about the government's plans for hospitals, Health Minister Deb Matthews has set it our repeatedly in the past few days in the Legislature:

There are people in hospitals who do not want to be there, who should not be there, who could be better served elsewhere. We also know there are people in long-term-care homes who could, with the right combination of supports, get the care they need at home, in the community....

Too many people are in hospitals who do not need to be in hospitals if they had the right supports outside of hospitals....

People are staying in hospitals for far too long because the other supports are not available for them. That is the challenge that we have set ourselves to. The LHINs’ number one priority right now is reducing the number of people who are in hospitals who ought not to be, do not want to be in hospital, and are not getting the best possible care in hospitals...

We are very much putting our focus on improving the array of services that are available outside of institutions, be they hospitals or long-term-care homes. That community care is the future of our health care system. We simply must better support people to age at home, to convalesce at home and to recover at home. We are, I can tell you, looking very closely at what we need to do to further strengthen supports for people in their own homes. I will undertake to keep this in mind as we move forward to strengthen supports for people outside of hospitals and outside of long-term-care homes....

Hospital services (or more precisely, the lack thereof) are a hot issue in the legislature for both the NDP and the Progressive Conservatives. And this is the government's constant response: we are moving people out of institutions and promoting care in the home.

This is pretty much what the Harris government said when they cut hospital services. And home care funding is being squeezed, just like hospitals. At a reported 1% increase for CCACs, it is less than the hospital funding increase.

dallan@cupe.ca

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