Questions to ask your MPP about LHINs
The Liberal government is moving in secret to make major changes to the health care system that may affect your job and the care your patients receive.
This summer, the Liberal cabinet quietly approved a plan to create Local Health Integration Networks (LHIN).
What are Local Health Integration Networks going to look like and how will they work? Nobody really knows. All we know is that the government is planning to create 14 regional LHINs “to plan, coordinate and fund the delivery of health services locally”. This could mean more uncertainty in the health care
system and possibly more privatization in health care.
OPSEU has a number of questions for Liberal health Minister George Smitherman about the way LHINs will affect patient care. These concern the scope of the LHINs, their mandate, impact on workers, and accountability. Ask your MPP:
1) Will LHINs replace Community Care Access Centres (CCACs)? There are currently 43 CCACs that are supposed to be providing one-stop access to home care services and they are making decisions against community interest in awarding contracts. How could just 14 LHINs Ontario-wide possibly be community based?
2) Will LHINs replace district health councils and public health units? Will regional Ministry offices close (and if so, why?) Are these HMOs under another name?
3) Will LHINs force public health care providers to compete against each other for contracts (as is currently the case in the CCACs)? Will they allow for-profit health care companies (including U.S. companies) to get a toehold in our system of medicare? Will competitive bidding (managed competition) be
stopped?
4) Will they move Ontario towards or away from the principles outlined by the Romanow Commission?
5) What will be the impact on worker wages and benefits, health and safety and job security? Will they force health care workers to re-apply for their own jobs at a lower rate? Will they address attraction/retention issues? What will the effect of these changes be on front-line worker morale? Will workers
lose their union protection if they are forced to switch employers?
6) How will the LHINs be accountable to the public? Will local communities have representatives on LHINs? Will they be elected like school trustees, or will they simply be appointed? Will LHINs help the government avoid accountability and responsibility for funding decisions? Will they politicize health
care? Will Freedom of Information and salary disclosure laws apply to LHINs and their contracts?
There is also no word so far about what shape or form the promised stakeholder consultations will take. A number of "symposiums" on the LHINs has been announced for September. Ask your MPP:
1) Will health care workers, patients and consumers be consulted?
2) Will consultations be meaningful or have the key decisions already been made?
3) What is the expected timeline for establishing the LHINs?
LHIN Index Page
