Bill 41 will be bad for patients

November 14, 2016 · 0 Comments

I have practised medicine in Bolton for 28 years.
During that time, it has been my privilege and responsibility to care for my patients and their families.
I believe it is my obligation to speak out against Bill 41 (formerly Bill 210), the Patients First Act.
This bill, which has already passed second reading in the provincial legislature, is destined to become law in Ontario this year.
This bill will directly impact patients and their healthcare.
Patients can wait for 18 months to see an orthopaedic surgeon to correct a shoulder rotator cuff tendon tear, one year to see a psychiatrist when they are suffering from depression that is difficult to treat, and months to see a cardiovascular surgeon for bypass surgery.
The government’s solution to address these challenges is to create more health-care administrators and to give the Local Health Integrated Networks (LHIN)s more responsibilities without clear process to ensure they are performing properly. There will be approximately 80 subLHINs created and the cost to run these smaller government agencies will eat up more limited healthcare dollars.
The government argues this is about frontline care, but LHINs and subLHINs are not caring for patients. Doctors, nurses and personal support-care workers do.
Under Bill 41, not only will government employees determine patient healthcare needs, but it will also be OK under this bill for government employees to examine patients’ personal health records without patient consent.
All of this is contrary to helping and caring for patients.
You can visit www.stopbill41.com to learn more about Bill 41 and sign a petition to urge the Wynne government to stop compromising your health, your privacy and your tax dollars.
Dr. Constance Weicker,
Bolton