Ontario Liberals announce $822M boost for hospitals

TORONTO – Ontario’s Liberal government says it will boost hospital funding by $822 million in 2018-2019.

Premier Kathleen Wynne says the 4.6 per cent increase is aimed at cutting wait times and addressing capacity issues that have plagued many of the province’s hospitals.

Wynne says the funding is on top of a 3.2 per cent increase to hospitals included in last year’s provincial budget.

READ MORE: Ontario health-care spending not keeping pace with aging population: FAO

Last week, Ontario’s Financial Accountability Office warned that without additional health spending, quality of care could be compromised in the future because of a growing and aging population.

Today’s announcement is the third major funding promise the Liberal government has made in as many days ahead of the June 7 election.

READ MORE: Overcrowded Ontario hospitals on the ‘brink’ to plead for budget increase

Earlier this week, Wynne announced the government would expand its free pharmacare program to cover seniors and promised to spend $2.1 billion over the next four years to rebuild Ontario’s mental health system.