The Ministry of Health is currently reviewing MAHC's Stage 1.3 submission.
As set out in the province's Hospital Capital Planning and Policy Manual, the Ministry may find that there are gaps in the documentation provided, or areas that require further clarification or additional information. Where this occurs, the ministry will inform the hospital that changes to the documentation are required to address either the identified information gaps or current best practice.
SSMHC advocates that a number of serious and alarming gaps exist in the MAHC model submitted to the province:
- Insufficient acute care beds to support the growing population and aging demographics of the community
- Insufficient transportation plan to support locating most beds away from the majority of the population in the regional hospital catchment, including no mitigations for severe winter weather, wealth inequality (i.e. reduced car ownership/taxi accessibility), and poor access to public transportation.
- Insufficient support for sustainable healthcare in South Muskoka, including services to attract and retain doctors over the long-term.
- Inequitable access to healthcare treatment in South Muskoka, requiring excessive patient transfer to beds at other sites (where available), away from family and friends and straining continuity of care for patients with their local doctors.
- Misguided site selection with poor access and poor soil conditions, leading to ongoing strain for future growth of the selected site.
- Strong public opposition to the hospital redevelopment in South Muskoka, including uncertainty on local share funding from the Town of Bracebridge and the Town of Gravenhurst which have both placed conditions subject to review.
SSMHC is calling on the province to strenuously re-evaluate the MAHC plan in accordance with established healthcare planning principles. As the current MAHC model cannot withstand the reasonable criticisms above, significant modifications are required before it can be allowed to proceed any further.
SSMHC has asked for a meeting with the Minister of Health and the Assistant Deputy Minister to raise these concerns in detail. More change is required!
