Local families are having trouble finding doctors
A political point of view
By Julia Munro York-Simcoe MPP

MPP Julia Munro

Welcome to the first of my monthly articles for the Innisfil Scope. I hope in this short space to be able to provide some insights into local issues and problems and how the government at Queen's Park is helping or hindering the search for solutions.

One of the greatest challenges affecting my riding of York-Simcoe is the huge population growth both in our riding and in neighbouring municipalities such as Barrie. This massive growth places huge strains on our services and infrastructure, with a chief concern being the impact on our health care system.

Many constituents in Innisfil tell me of their difficulty in finding a family doctor. They tell me of long waits in emergency rooms and lengthy waiting lists for necessary surgery. Doctors, nurses and health care planners tell me the same. When I visited the Royal Victoria Hospital in Barrie two weeks ago, problems caused by the pressures of growth were identified as a key concern. This is a problem across Ontario, but the growth in our area makes the problem even worse.

A health care system cannot thrive without adequate funding. However, the amount of funding put into health care does not always equal better service or more services. This requires efficient and effective spending. It requires knowing what areas need more funding and how those dollars can best be spent. It is a matter of having forethought, planning for our future and putting to use the resources already available.

Responsible spending requires that the special needs of high growth areas need to be taken into account. I support the proposals coming from the Ministry of Health for population-needs-based funding for hospitals. We must aim any funding increases at reducing waitlists, modernizing health care facilities, and ensuring every Ontarian has access to a family doctor.

I am also pushing for the enhanced use of family health teams in our area. These teams get extra funding and include physicians, nurse practitioners, nurses and other health care providers. The Ministry of Health website lists teams in many of the surrounding communities, but so far there is no family health team approved for Innisfil, or indeed for any other municipality in my riding. I will continue to push health officials to provide us with this important service.

Money alone will not solve our health problems. We need good planning and we need to start promoting healthier lifestyles for everyone. We also need to make sure that the government at Queen's Park listens to the particular health needs of our area. Residents of Innisfil deserve nothing less that the highest quality of health care we can possible provide.

I would be interested in hearing your thoughts on health care or any other issue. Please contact me at any time at julia.munro@pc.ola.org or by phone, toll-free at 1-866- 206-1373.