September 15, 2008

TORONTO - The Ontario government and the Ontario Medical Association (OMA) have reached a tentative agreement that will improve access to family health care for Ontarians and reduce congestion in hospital emergency departments.

Key components of the tentative agreement include :

• Working to get a family physician for 500,000 patients who need family health care
• Helping patients who have chronic diseases – such as diabetes – better manage their condition to reduce their need for emergency health services
• Making Ontario the jurisdiction of choice for future physicians with a new program that will defer interest on medical resident debt
• Providing physicians in group practices with funding for up to 500 nurses, as part of the government’s commitment to 9000 new nurses, to further improve access to care.
• Increasing access to mental health services outside hospital for high risk patients

“We’re pleased to have arrived at a tentative agreement with the Ontario Medical Association that will enable us to build on the progress we’ve made in delivering better health care for Ontarians over the past five years,” said Health and Long-Term Care Minister David Caplan. “This agreement will allow us to continue moving forward by focusing on our top priorities: improving access to family care and reducing wait times.”

• The tentative agreement was endorsed by the OMA board and will be put before OMA members for ratification on October 8-15.

Find out more about the government’s priorities to improve Ontarians’ access to health care.

Read about Family Health Teams in the province.

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