Dr. Willett likes budget's plan to cut ER wait times

NEWS RELEASE

ONTARIO MEDICAL ASSOCIATION

************************** Ontario doctors welcome plan to reduce wait times

Increased workloads and team-based care models have helped thousands of patients get access to care

TORONTO - (March 25) - Today, the Ontario Medical Association (OMA) welcomed the provincial government's budget commitments to reduce emergency room wait times and improve access to diagnostic tests and surgeries.

The OMA also supports the focus in the provincial budget on preventative health and expanding family health teams. "The government has taken steps in recent years to reduce wait times, and together with the hard work of doctors and other health-care professionals, patients in targeted areas are getting better access to care," said Dr. Janice Willett, president of the OMA. "The additional investments in general surgeries are a positive step toward improving access for patients in the province." Willett called on the government to continue to make progress on measuring all wait times so that we can identify problem areas that require additional resources. The OMA is also pleased to see an expansion of inter-professional care models with the addition of 50 family health teams.

As a result of these new care models and other successful team models, Ontario doctors have been able to care for thousands of patients who did not previous have a primary-care physician.

However, Dr. Willett expressed concern that the expansion of nurse-only clinics will not build on the proven success of the team models. "Integrated team-care provides patients with access to the health professionals they need, when they need it," said Dr. Willett. "With a shortage of 2,000 doctors in the province, we need to build on the models that help more patients access the care of a family doctor." Dr. Willett applauded new investments in health promotion and prevention including, chronic disease prevention and management, childhood obesity, and mental health services. "Doctors have been highlighting issues around child health for many years and we are happy to see the government is making obesity and mental health a priority," said Dr. Willett. "By raising a generation of healthier children we will save on health-care costs in the future and set them on a better track for adulthood."

The OMA represents 24,000 Ontario doctors.

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