Dear Editor,

Yesterday the news reported that the Financial Accountability Officer of Ontario had done a report on Health Care spending. This report might explain why hospitals are charging for something as fundamental as parking.

According to the Financial Accountability Officer:

"Since 2012, a freeze in base operating funding to hospitals and wage restraint have been significant contributors in slowing health sector expense growth. Even with the additional health sector spending in the 2017 budget, hospital and OHIP program area spending is set to grow more slowly than their core cost drivers. It is not clear to what extent the Province can continue to rely on temporary measures (e.g. wage restraint) to achieve budget targets. Unless the Province can find significant efficiencies within the OHIP and hospital program areas, there is a fiscal risk that more spending will be required to avoid reductions in health care access or quality. In the years beyond 2019-20, budgetary issues in Ontario's health sector will only become more acute, as Ontario's growing and aging population will put additional upward pressure on health care costs over the long-term."

In Ontario there are a number of different entities we are paying for with our health-care money. According to the 2015 Auditor General's report, the LHINs do not provide health services, yet cost, at that time, $90 Million+ per year. And yet, again according to the A.G., all health care providers, such as hospitals and long-term-care homes still have their own board of directors and are administered under the Ministry.

In 2015 the LHINs admin of $25 Billion was (A.G. 2015):
- Hospitals (156) 
- Long-Term-Care Homes (631)
- Community Care Access Centres (14)
- Mental Health and Addiction Centres (400)
- Community Support Service Agencies (584)
- Community Health Centres (76)

And the Ministry's half admin of $25 Billion (A.G. 2015) duplicate working relationships with LHINs managed by the Ministry
- Primary Care
- Family Health Teams
- Independent Health Facilities
Provincial Health Agencies (duplicates of LHINs)
- Cancer Care Ontario
- eHealth Ontario
- Health Quality Ontario
- Public Health Ontario

Perhaps instead of restraining front line workers and cutting funding to hospitals, government should look for redundancies – like administration, the LHINs, duplication with other entities, etc., instead of charging for parking to pay for "fund raising" administration that used to be volunteer, wouldn't one think?

The A.G.'s report on the LHINs was very informative – you might want to have a read in conjunction with the Financial Accountability Officer's report. It would seem there is a systemic abuse under the Health Care file that has nothing to do with providing you with good health care – just multiple layers of bureaucracy and perhaps partisan appointments.

Elizabeth F. Marshall
Candidate – Trillium Party of Ontario, Bruce-Grey-Owen Sound