NDP: Ford’s Conservatives driving away future healthcare workers

QUEEN'S PARK — Official Opposition NDP Health critic France Gélinas (Nickel Belt) has released the following statement in response to media reports that show access to healthcare in Northern Ontario is falling further behind the rest of Canada due to worsening family doctor shortage:

"The Ford government has run our health care system into the ground and scared future health care professionals away in the process. New doctors don't want to pursue family medicine in Ontario because of the huge paperwork burden, never-ending workload, outdated models of care, and the bad taste left by Bill 124.

"No matter how many millions the government spends on health care ads trying to convince Ontario that things are fine, the data is clear—our doctors are losing confidence in this government's approach. Now, 10,000 more people in Sault Ste. Marie will be without a family doctor in a few weeks, and many more throughout the North.

"We've offered many solutions to address our health care crisis, but the Ford government refuses to work with the NDP."

Marit Stiles and the Ontario NDP outlined clear steps that Ford’s Conservatives could take to start fixing the crisis today and get 2 million Ontarians the primary care that they need. Ford’s Conservatives refused to put patients first and help Ontarians get better access to care.