News

LHIN CONTINUES TO FAIL NORTHERNERS

QUEEN’S PARK – The costly Northeast LHIN bureaucracy continues to fail to hit key
wait time targets and let down Northerners who need timely health care, Nipissing MPP
Vic Fedeli said today.

The LHIN’s recently released 2013-14 annual report shows the average wait time for
Community Care Access Centre (CCAC) In-Home services grew to 70 days last year,
nowhere near the target of 48 days despite the LHIN stating it has invested $63 million
more in community-based care than five years ago (p.31).

“Despite this massive investment, we’re not seeing any wait time improvements. We
need to ask what’s going on here?” Fedeli said while noting wait times for priority hip
surgeries, knee replacements, MRI scans and CT scans all missed targets, as did 30-
day readmission rates for selected Case Mix Groups (CMGs), mental health and
substance abuse patients.

“The Liberals created the LHINs nearly a decade ago, yet these problems continue to
persist while we shell out millions on an ineffective level of bureaucracy year after year,”
Fedeli said while also outlining concerns with the LHIN’s administrative budget.

He pointed to nearly $27,000 paid in per diems to the Board Chair, and a more than
$4,000 increase in other governance per diems paid out. As well, the LHIN reported a
more than $90,000 increase in consulting fees, $30,000 jump in accommodation costs,
and $15,000 increases for staff travel and IT equipment.

“I want the LHIN to explain these expense increases when it continues to fail to hit so
many of its performance targets,” Fedeli demanded.

For more information, or to arrange an interview, contact:
Clint Thomas
Executive Assistant
(416) 325-3434 or (416) 710-1752