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home / 世界杯决赛2022

here's what doctors and hospital officials are saying about doug ford's plan to expand surgery to community clinics

“this is an important solution that can help address wait times, one of the biggest structural problems in the health-care system"

by brian lilley
published jan 16, 2023
read time 4 minute read
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read time 4 minute read
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premier doug ford has unveiled his plan to use private and not-for-profit community surgical centres to clear waiting list backlogs and give patients access to faster care. the plan will start with cataracts this year along with some other minor surgeries before moving to hip and knee surgeries next year.
it’s estimated that nearly 20,000 additional cataract surgeries will be performed in ontario over the next year as a result of the change.
while there are critics in the opposition parties and some doctors, major hospital and health organizations have come out in support of ford’s plan. here is some of what they have to say:
anthony dale, president and ceo, ontario hospital association
“ontario’s hospitals have a long history of leadership in clinical innovation and working collaboratively to implement new ways to reduce wait times and deliver exceptional patient-centred care in a safe and timely manner. the ontario hospital association (oha) welcomes the opportunity to work together with government and system partners to integrate community surgical centres into ontario’s health-care system and establish new partnerships between hospitals and community-based surgical clinics to help ensure access to care for patients. given the hugely disruptive impact of the covid-19 pandemic on hospitals, health human resources and wait times for services, it is essential that the expanded use of community surgical centres into new areas of clinical activity take place in a planned manner with appropriate change management and risk management measures in place. as always, by working together as team ontario, we can overcome any challenge and deliver on our shared commitment to strengthening our public healthcare system in service of the people of ontario.”
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amit atrey md, msc, mrcs, frcs
assistant professor of orthopedics university of toronto, staff trauma & arthroplasty surgeon, st michael’s hospital
“as a surgeon, i feel any measure that will allow for more surgeries and cut wait times should be considered. expanding the scope of  community surgical centres is a measure that could potentially help reduce wait times across the province. with the proper safeguards that ensures staffing in hospitals won’t be impacted and ihfs are affiliated with existing hospitals to support patients throughout their care journey, this could benefit many patients and families in ontario. we look forward to working with the ontario government to develop this model to best serve ontarians.”
dr. rose zacharias, president of the ontario medical association
“experience elsewhere has shown that providing outpatient surgeries and procedures in the community greatly improves the patient experience. patients get their surgeries sooner, have lower rates of infection and get to go home the same day. we look forward to working with the government to develop a strategy to make sure these new centres do not take resources away from hospitals or exacerbate existing health human resources challenges.”
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allan o’dette, ceo of the ontario medical association
“this is an important solution that can help address wait times, one of the biggest structural problems in the health-care system. the oma looks forward to working with the government to implement this model of care that will expand capacity throughout the health-care system. integrating these new centres with hospitals and the broader health-care system will help ensure high-quality care and patient safety and free up beds and operating rooms for emergency, acute and complex cases.”
dr. andy smith, president and ceo, sunnybrook health sciences centre
”sunnybrook has had success in reducing patient wait times for both low risk and complex surgeries by partnering with health-care organizations outside of the hospital to perform endoscopies, cataract procedures, and hearing loss treatments. we have also been able to achieve reductions in wait times by partnering on regional models of care with our fellow hospitals. reducing wait times is a priority for everyone in health care and it is an issue that requires innovation and investment on a number of fronts. from embracing new models of care to ensuring our most important resource, our people, have the support they need to succeed, we are committed to improving the ontario health-care system in every way possible. we look forward to working with the government to ensure all ontarians are able to access care in a timely and safe manner.”
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dr. kevin smith, president and ceo, university health network
“(monday’s) announcement, focused on day surgeries which provide patients with improved quality of life, is an important step in helping to reduce the surgical backlog and getting people the surgeries  they need in a timely manner, all while protecting universal access. i look forward to working with the government, system partners and the potential centre’s to develop the framework needed to maintain the integrity of our public system regarding staffing and quality assurance.”
dr. chris simpson, executive vice president medical, ontario health
“we are committed to reducing wait times so that all ontarians can get timely access to quality care. in partnership with health-system providers, and informed by best practice, data and evidence, we will ensure system integration that supports provincial reporting, coordinated planning and equitable access for patients across the province.”
dr. david jacobs, president, ontario association of radiologists
“we can’t wish the problem away. we need robust system change including publicly funded privately delivered care in the community to deal with chronic backlogs and surging demands. hospitals need to be able to focus on emergency and complex care. community care allows for faster access to care closer to home. with time this will result in both an increase in well paying jobs in the health-care sector, as well as with an expansion of services for ontario’s patients.”
brian lilley
brian lilley

brian lilley is a political columnist with the toronto sun. a veteran of radio, tv, print and online, brian cut his teeth covering courts, crime and everything else as a junior reporter in montreal. since 2002 he's spent most of his time focused on politics including working from 2005 through 2010 as the ottawa bureau chief for newstalk 1010 in toronto and cjad 800 in montreal. in 2010, brian joined the sun to help with the launch of sun news network, hosting the popular nightly show byline while also writing weekly columns for the paper. now based in toronto, brian writes daily columns on politics covering all levels of government and is regularly heard commenting on issues on talk radio stations across the country.

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