TORONTO — In a major move to enhance access to care, the Ontario government has announced a $125 million investment to fund up to 20,000 additional orthopedic surgeries over the next two years. The expansion will take place through licensed community surgical centres across Ontario.
Faster, Closer, Connected Care
As part of the province’s ongoing Your Health: A Plan for Connected and Convenient Care, the funding aims to cut wait times and expand access to hip and knee replacements, two of the most in-demand orthopedic procedures. The goal is for 90% of patients to receive care within clinically recommended timelines.
By investing $125M to add up to 20,000 orthopedic surgeries at community surgical and diagnostic centres, our government is protecting Ontario and boosting access to publicly funded surgeries.
Learn more about the call for applications that opens today: https://t.co/K3wuXbasaf pic.twitter.com/43eLu4plCV
— Sylvia Jones (@SylviaJonesMPP) July 2, 2025
Building on Previous Investments
This announcement builds on a series of recent health care investments by the Ontario government:
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$155 million to expand 57 community surgical and diagnostic centres to deliver over 1.2 million procedures, including MRIs, CT scans, and GI endoscopies.
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$235 million to support over 130 new and expanded primary care teams, connecting 300,000 more Ontarians to care this year.
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Deployment of 50 new MRI machines across 43 hospitals in Ontario in the past year.
About Community Surgical Centres
Community surgical and diagnostic centres have operated in Ontario for over 30 years, providing publicly funded outpatient surgeries and diagnostic tests outside of hospitals. There are currently more than 900 such centres, the majority offering diagnostic imaging.
All centres are overseen by Accreditation Canada, ensuring hospital-level quality and safety standards. These centres:
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Cannot charge patients for insured services
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Cannot prioritize patients who pay for uninsured services
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Must follow stringent clinical oversight regulations
Timeline and Application Details
A call for applications is now open for community surgical centres seeking to perform publicly funded orthopedic surgeries:
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Applications Open: July 2, 2025
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Deadline: August 27, 2025 at 11:59 p.m.
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Q&A Submission Deadline: July 16, 2025 (for all applicant questions)
Applicants can email: ICHSC.Applications@ontario.ca for information. Responses will be publicly posted on the Ministry’s website.
Why It Matters
Ontario already leads Canada in surgical efficiency. In 2024:
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83% of key surgeries were completed within target wait times — the best record in the country
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The province eliminated the cervical cancer screening backlog, restoring 10–14 day lab processing times
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Over 40,000 publicly funded eye surgeries were delivered at community centres
This new funding ensures even more patients can access faster, high-quality orthopedic care without long waits or travel burdens.
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