QUEEN’S PARK – Doug Ford is rushing Bill 7 forward without any public input or the opportunity to ask critical questions that will protect patients and their families.
Just how far will they go?
Families have 4 questions for the Ford government:
- How far will the government send patients away from their families?
We are hearing that in Northern Ontario, patients could be sent to a facility up to 300km away. In the rest of Ontario, up to 100km away. And in cities, up to 30km away.
- If a patient refuses to be transferred, what is the maximum amount they can be charged?
There is an ability to charge hospital fees to patients, which is greater than the co-pay from long-term care.
- What are the exact steps that will be taken if a patient refuses to be transferred?
The government is saying that no one will be forced to move, all while creating a mechanism to make it easier to pressure someone out of a hospital.
- How will the government guarantee that long-term care homes have the staff and resources required to safely admit patients?
We know that Bill 124 has created more dire staffing pressures in Ontario’s long-term care homes. The government needs to ensure patients will receive the care that they need.
“Patients and families in Ontario deserve to know what is going to happen to their loved ones,” said MPP Fraser. “The Ford government needs to come clean and be transparent about how this legislation will affect the care of our most vulnerable.”
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