Ontario’s health system has been pushed to the brink due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, staff shortages at every level of healthcare, an aging population, delays in the supply-chain and overall general fatigue.
To address these issues, in August 2022, the Ford Government flexed its majority to pass the controversial Bill 7, More Beds, Better Care Act, 2022. This bill made it possible for designated hospital staff to approve and coordinate the temporary move of elderly patients to a long-term care facility without the consent of the patient or the consent of their substitute decision-maker.
Of note, the government skipped the typical committee review stage for Bill 7. This is a crucial step in the legislative process, where a committee, comprised of members of all political parties, hears from citizens who are experts in their respective fields, and scrutinize the legislation line-by-line. The goal of this step is to identify gaps in the bill. It is during this phase that experts can identify any potential issues, such as human rights violations, and any unforeseen legal and regulatory compliance concerns, prior to the bill being enacted.
While we agree that healthcare should remain a priority as the pandemic lingers, we fundamentally disagree with the bill in its current form. We are not alone. According to a recent Angus Reid survey, 47% of Ontarians said they were “divided” on the bill, and 53% said this measure “should not have been considered” [1].
In Ontario’s 2022-2023 budget, Premier Doug Ford outlines his plan “to invest in hospitals, long‐term care and home care to deliver the quality of care that seniors and patients deserve”[2]. It included earmarking $1 billion over three years to expand home care and improve quality of care so that people can live at home longer. This investment was in addition to the $548.5 million previously announced[3].
Bill 7 appears to be in stark contradiction to Ford’s plan of ensuring quality patient care at home.
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