Legislation was introduced last week by the Ontario Government that would expand the role of the Liberal created Local Health Integration Networks while the Community Care Access Centres would be shut down.  Bill 120, the Patients First Act would hand over responsibility to govern and manage the delivery of home and community care to the LHINs.
ONA Provincial V-P Vicki McKenna says the Health and Long Term Care Minister has been quite clear that there is no intention to reduce the number of staff that are employed with Community Care Access Centres in the transition.  McKenna says the ONA represents over 35-hundred and the members are quite concerned with how the transition will impact them.  McKenna says the devil is in the details and there is certainly room for improving patient care…

 

Sandi Campbell a senior director with the Northeast Community Care Access Centre says they similar to the ONA, have been provided assurances regarding employee levels…

 

In total, there are under 700 employees of the Northeast Community Care Access Centre and less than 10% of that figure is made up of adminstrative employees.  Bill 120, The Patients First Act, is expected to be passed in the fall and the transition is expected to be carried out by the spring of 2017.