Ontario expands orthopedic surgeries access to strengthen public health-care and reduce wait times across the province.
The Ontario government has announced a major $125 million expansion aimed at reducing wait times for orthopedic surgeries across the province. Over the next two years, four new community surgical and diagnostic centres will be licensed to perform publicly funded hip and knee replacement procedures, providing care for up to 20,000 additional patients.
This initiative—part of the province’s ongoing “Your Health: A Plan for Connected and Convenient Care” strategy—was unveiled by Deputy Premier and Health Minister Sylvia Jones at OV Surgical Centre in Toronto, one of the new centres selected for funding. Other approved locations include Ottawa, Windsor, and the Schroeder Ambulatory Centre.
“By expanding orthopedic surgery capacity across Ontario, we are redoubling our efforts to reduce wait times and get more people access to life-changing procedures sooner,” said Minister Jones. “This investment will help patients regain mobility, reduce pain, and return to the activities they love.”
Boosting Access, Improving Outcomes
Currently, 80% of Ontario patients receive orthopedic care within clinically recommended timeframes. The province’s goal is to raise that number to 90%, improving health outcomes and quality of life for thousands of Ontarians, especially seniors and individuals with mobility challenges.
The new surgical centres will focus on hip and knee replacements, some of the most in-demand procedures in Ontario’s public health-care system. All surgeries will remain fully OHIP-covered, with no patient allowed to pay for faster service or forced to purchase uninsured upgrades.
Safeguarding Public Health Standards
To ensure accountability and safety, the new community centres will operate under Accreditation Canada’s quality assurance framework, aligning with the standards applied to public hospitals. Each facility is also required to provide staffing plans that protect existing hospital staffing levels, and to report into Ontario’s wait time system.
This move follows a series of public health investments in the province, including:
-
$155M for expanding 57 surgical and diagnostic centres for MRIs, CT scans, and endoscopies.
-
$235M to create over 130 new primary care teams.
-
50 new MRI machines distributed to 43 hospitals across Ontario.
A Toronto-Based Partner in the Expansion
One of the lead partners in the expansion, OV Surgical Centre in Toronto, welcomed the province’s commitment.
“We believe that Integrated Community Health Services Centres like ours will accelerate access to orthopedic diagnostics and surgery for Ontarians,” said Christopher Wein, CEO of OV Surgical Centre.
With this investment, Ontario continues to lead the country in surgical wait time reduction, and signals an ongoing commitment to strengthening public health infrastructure province-wide.
Follow GTA Weekly on social media @GTAWeeklyNews for more public health news and updates.
#GTAWeekly #PublicHealthWatch #OntarioHealth
Leave a Reply