Primary Care

PRIMARY CARE EASY ACCESS LIST: Major Primary Care Reports, Analyses, Backgrounders, Fact Sheets, Briefing Notes & Media Releases

On this page you can find a roundup of Ontario Health Coalition Primary Care: Reports & Analyses Backgrounders, Facts Sheets & Briefing Notes Media Releases   Reports/Analyses Backgrounders/Fact Sheets/Briefing Notes Media Releases

RELEASE: Health Coalition fully supports bill banning 2-tier clinics, increasing fines and expanding public access

(October 24, 2024) The Ontario Health Coalition is calling for Ontarians to put their full support behind a new Private Member’s Bill introduced by Liberal Health Critic Dr. Adil Shamji to be debated in the Legislature this evening. Almost a full year ago, Health Minister Sylvia Jones promised to take action to stop private clinics […]

RELEASE & REPORT: Illegal, Unlawful and Unethical: Case Studies of Patients Charged for Medical Care in Ontario’s Private Clinics

(April 16, 2024) Anyone in Ontario can make a complaint or ask questions by calling toll-free at 1-888-662-6613 or by emailing protectpublichealthcare@ontario.ca. Toronto, April 16, 2024 – Released today, a new report Illegal, Unlawful and Unethical: Case Studies of Patients Charged for Medical Care in Ontario’s Private Clinics, featured evidence from more than a hundred […]

RELEASE & REPORT: Fraud, criminal conviction, misrepresentation and unlawful user fees: New report exposes a “Wild West” of for-profit health care in Ottawa private clinics

(March 8, 2024) A new report released by the Ottawa and Ontario Health Coalitions contains shocking revelations about the ownership and management behind private health clinics in Ottawa. Based on a five-month investigation, Freedom of Information requests, corporate filings, interviews and court records, the report paints a picture of a dangerous and disturbing “Wild West” […]

JUST THE FACTS: Facts About Health Care, Cuts & Privatization

(March 1, 2022) Here are fact sheets on health care cuts & privatization, with sources for all data: Why Not Privatize Our Public Health Care Services Fightback to Save Public Health Care & Stop Privatization Long-Term Care Privatization Home Care Privatization Privatization of COVID-19 Testing in Ontario Fast Facts on Health Care Funding in Ontario

LETTER & EVENTS: Call for Human Rights Inquiry Into Systemic Discrimination Against the Elderly in Ontario Hospitals and Long-Term Care

(March 16, 2021) Click here for a link to the letter to the Ontario Human Rights Commissioner. The Ontario Health Coalition, the Advocacy Centre for the Elderly & CUPE/OCHU are calling on the Ontario Human Rights Commissioner to conduct a formal Inquiry into the human rights discrimination against the elderly in access to and levels […]

UPDATE: Mounting Health Care Cuts

List of the Ford government health care cuts to date: Cut OHIP+ so families with sick children will have to seek private coverage first and pay deductibles and co-payments (June 2018). Cut planned mental health funding by more than $330 million per year (July 2018). Cancelled all new planned overdose prevention sites. (Autumn 2018). Cut […]

UPDATE: Mounting Health Care Cuts

An updated version of this list can be found here. List of the Ford government health care cuts to date: ● Cut OHIP+ so families with sick children will have to seek private coverage first and pay deductibles and co-payments. (June 2018) ● Cut planned mental health funding by more than $330 million. (July 2018) […]

RELEASE, ANALYSIS & BRIEFING NOTE: Health Care Omnibus Bill Sets Up Ontario for Health System Mega-Mergers & Privatization: Worse than the Leaked Draft, Health Coalition Warns

(Updated: April 1, 2019) Click here for our submission to the Standing Committee on Social Policy regarding Bill 74 (April 2019) Click here for update on health omnibus bill hearings (March 2019) Click here for printable version of health omnibus bill briefing note (March 2019) Click here for printable version of health omnibus bill media […]

VIDEO: Better health care through innovation “The Agenda, March 4, 2019”

Natalie Mehra, executive director of the Ontario Health Coalition, joined a health care panel on The Agenda with Steve Paikin. A video of the panel can be found below. Analysis Click here for original video

RELEASE: Warning that Leaked Health Care Omnibus Bill Would Create Health Care Chaos: Longstanding Leaders of Organizations Representing Patients, Care Workers, Doctors

Academic leaders, democracy advocates, patient advocates, front-line care workers and doctors are all speaking with one voice when it comes to the leaked health care omnibus bill that has secretly been planned by the Ford government for months: if passed, it would cause health care chaos that will last for years. Speaking at a Queen’s […]

RELEASE: Ontario Election 2018 Health Care Resources

Click on each heading for Ontario election resources: **New  Leaflet inside (note: if printing use legal size paper)  Leaflet outside (note: if printing used legal size paper) Election Platform- top issues and “asks” for our political parties Media Release Provincial Election Platform release Health Care Questions for Candidates  All Candidates’ Meetings Media coverage of Health […]

RELEASE: $22 billion in cuts to funding for public services planned by Mr. Ford, worse than Harris, we are “extremely worried”

posted June 3, 2018

By Natalie Mehra, Executive Director Many Ontarians are captured by the idea of getting the same or more services for less money. But few know what the numbers might actually mean. Since Doug Ford did not release a clear platform, Ontarians know more about how much a beer may cost if the Conservative leader is […]

ANALYSIS: Ontario Health Coalition Analysis of the First Ministers’ Health Accord

(February 11, 2003) A reading of the new “Health Accord” reached last week at the First Ministers’ meetings leads to more questions than answers.

Ontario Health Coalition: Submission to the Standing Committee on Social Policy on Bill 102, Transparent Drug System for Patients Act, 2006

(May 29, 2006) In this bill, the government proposes several key initiatives to control the cost of drugs in Ontario including supporting the widening of the use of generics to replace the higher cost brand name drugs, reducing the mark up on drugs and ensuring that the provincial government pays pharmacies for the actual cost […]

OHC Accountability Handbook

(May 2003) This resource provides answers to frequent questions regarding access to medicines, programmes and health services.

ANALYSIS: Preliminary Analysis of the Romanow Report from the Canadian Health Coalition and the Canadian Labour Congress

(November 28, 2002) The Romanow Report on the Future of Health Care concluded that there is a consensus among Canadians that Medicare is a moral enterprise, not a commercial venture.

REPORT: OHC Primary Care Reform Position Paper

(May 2002) For years, health care advocates and their organizations have pushed for true primary care reform that will deliver to Ontarians more access and better services.

How private finance is moving primary care into corporate ownership

(April 21, 2001) British Medical Journal article on the privatization of primary care in Britain.

Will primary care trusts lead to US-style health care?

(April 21, 2001) A study by Allyson M Pollock published in the British Medical Journal examines how the introduction of primary care trusts in the UK could lead to a US style health system.