Losing LHINs could reduce local power over health services, experts say

The Doug Ford government's plan to restructure health-care services in Ontario could lead to a loss of local decision-making powers, experts warn.

CBC News has learned that the Ontario PCs areconsidering reducing the number of Local Health Integrated Networks (LHINs) from 14 tofive,or possibly eliminating them altogether.

Dr. Rob Cushman was the first director of the Champlain LHIN which covers a wide swath of eastern Ontario that includes Ottawa, Pembroke, Carleton Place, Cornwall and Hawkesbury and called the plan "a step backwards."

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"They should be given the tools to do what needs to be done," Cushmansaid.

"I think to centralize all of this stuff is just going to make it Toronto-centric and, because it's so much bigger, is going to make it more difficult to really deal with local needs."

Cushman said his work involved coordinating thedelivery of health care services to hospitals, long-term care homes and community health centres.

While reducing the number of LHINs could help reduce duplication, Cushman said it's more important those regional bodies have the power to make the decisions they need to.

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"If you're going to do this let's not make them just branch plants of the Ministry of Health," he said. "Let's give them the real authority ... so they can go on to do what they need to do."

'A cautionary signal'

TheLHINsoversee nearly $30 billionin annual operating funding for health services. They'realso where patients begin the process of securingpublicly-funded home care or a spot in a provincial nursing home.

They were created in 2007 by then-premier DaltonMcGuinty's Liberal government.

Doug Angus, professor emeritus in health administration at the University of Ottawa, said Alberta's experience paring back regional health boards should serve asa "cautionary signal" for the Ford government.

About a decade ago, the Alberta government moved to a single health "superboard" called Alberta Health Services, which replaced nine regionaland three specialized boards.

However, that move didn't curbAlberta's health spending, which is the highest in the country per capita.

"The regions really know their health needs a lot better than, say, somebody in the city of Edmonton or in our case inOntario people in the city of Toronto," Angus said.

Angus also said thehigher francophone population in eastern and northern Ontario might be at risk of being overlooked if decisions are moved to Toronto.

The Ministry of Health has not confirmed or denied reports of its plans to restructure the health system.

In a statement, a spokesperson for Health Minister Christine Elliott said the government inherited "a fractured health care system" from its predecessors, one "built for bureaucracy and not for patients."

"Our government believes that everyone in Ontario deserves to have access to the services they need at home, in the community or at a hospital. That's why we're working with partners in health care to develop our long-term transformational health care strategy," the statement said.