Province injects $6.67M into PRHC
Funds aimed at addressing wait times, access to care and hospital capacity
The provincial government is investing an additional $6.67 million into the city’s hospital.
MPP Jeff Leal announced the funding at Peterborough Regional Health Centre (PRHC) on Monday.
Dr. Peter McLaughlin, PRHC president and CEO, said the hospital relies a great deal on ministry funding.
“We’re very appreciative for this additional funding,” said McLaughlin.
The money will be used to address wait times, access to care and hospital capacity.
“We want to ensure that our patients get as rapid access to our professionals as we can possible manage and that they have safe care in the hospital in a properly bedded spot,” he said.
That means hiring more hospital staff to provide care, the CEO said. McLaughlin didn’t say exactly how many staff PRHC would hire, but that the hiring process started a few months ago.
To help improve access to care and capacity, PRHC will direct some funds toward the 24 new hospital beds added in October. PRHC received one-time funding to open the beds and the new additional funds will keep them in operation.
PRHC has been running over 100 per cent capacity for more than a year, according to Peterborough Public Health.
In his role as MPP, Leal said he meets with PRHC officials quarterly to get updates on the hospital.
PRHC has a wonderful reputation for its clinical services, Leal said, and he’d like to see that reputation upheld.
“(PRHC) provides this critical regional role and we want to make sure they have the capacity to meet the needs going forward,” said Leal.
The extra funds will not only improve access to care and capacity, but will also help the hospital keep a strong balance sheet.
“When you have a strong balance sheet, that gives you the flexibility to make future investments,” Leal said.
The extra funds are part of an initiative announced last week by Premier Kathleen Wynne to invest $822 million into provincial hospitals in 2018-19.
This comes as New Democrat Leader Andrea Horwath drawing attention to hospital overcrowding, which has been called “hallway medicine,” referring to treatment of emergency and other patients in hospital hallways because of a lack of beds.
“When people are being treated in bathrooms and in shower rooms and when they have to share four or five people in what used to be a TV room of a patient lounge ... it is degrading,” said New Democrat MPP France Gelinas (Nickel Belt), her party’s health critic, last week. “The damage ... as been done by years of underfunding.”
Ontario Hospital Association president and chief executive Anthony Dale said the $822 million is welcome but agreed the money won’t solve all the problems.
“We are looking at it as a foundation piece toward the end of hallway medicine, the end of hospital overcrowding,” Dale added, noting more nursing home beds and home care are also needed to achieve that goal.
The funding is part of the new provincial budget to be released Wednesday.