The McGuinty Liberal government’s move to steamroll ahead with Local Health Integration Networks (LHINs) is leaving front-line health care workers out of the picture.
The short timelines for consultation, and the lack of recent front-line experience on the LHIN leadership team are among OPSEU members’ concerns with Health Minister George Smitherman’s announcement yesterday of 14 regional Local Health Integration Networks (LHINs). The announcement included a request for public input by Oct. 15.
“The consultation process - with just four business days for input - is a farce,” said OPSEU President Leah Casselman, representing more than 30,000 health care workers in all areas of health care.
“They’ve already sliced up the province into regions, without input from the paramedics who take patients to hospital, or from community health professionals, who drive to various locations to serve patients,” Casselman said. “Their hastily prepared map shows they really don’t understand the province very well.”
“Nor have they consulted others of our members such as ministry staff, allied hospital professionals, long-term care staff, hospital support staff, or mental health workers.”
Casselman wrote Smitherman July 8, inviting him to meet with allied hospital professionals in their workplaces and discuss the needed changes to the system. There has been no response from the Minister. “He needs to acknowledge and deal with the critical shortages of health professionals other than doctors and nurses. This will go a long way to resolving the
wait time issue.”
OPSEU members are wary of appointed boards, out-of-touch with front line work, that control huge regional health care budgets.
-30-
For further information:
David Cox 416-443-8888 x 314
