LHIN Legacy of Failure Continues
April 5, 2016QUEEN’S PARK – While languishing at the bottom of the province in performance, the North East LHIN continues to spend more on administration, including communications, office space and staff development, Nipissing MPP Vic Fedeli revealed today.
The LHIN’s recently released 2014-15 annual report confirms the findings in the most recent Auditor General’s report that they only met four of 15 performance targets, tied for worst in the province.
The report also shows the average wait time for Community Care Access Centre (CCAC) In-Home services grew from 70 to 76 days last year, nowhere near the target of 48 days despite the LHIN stating it has invested $75 million more in community-based care than five years ago (p.32).
“I’ll ask the same question I asked last year – how is it that despite this massive investment, we’re not seeing improvements?” Fedeli asked, 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 report also shows the LHIN spent $200,000 more on administration last year than the year before, an increase of more than twice the rate of inflation. The LHIN’s Shared Services Office cost rose $87,000, or 62 per cent, while communications costs spiked $60,000, or 71 per cent. Staff development costs rose $17,000, or 81 per cent.
The Sunshine List recently showed CEO Louise Paquette received a nearly $10,000 raise last year, receiving compensation of just more than $267,000.
“I demand the LHIN explain these increases when it continues to fail to hit so many performance targets,” Fedeli demanded. “The government created the LHINs a decade ago, yet we see no improvement while paying more and more on ineffective bureaucracy.”