London Health Science Centre (LHSC) is getting a $10-million boost in funding from the provincial government to complete the next phase of its Ambulatory Surgical Centre.
The $10-million health-care announcement from Lambton–Kent–Middlesex PC MPP Monte McNaughton on Friday includes an additional $1.3 million in funding for four Middlesex hospitals to increase surgical capacity in the region.
The off-site ASC is located on Base Line Road will allow the hospital to perform more than 500 additional orthopedic surgeries a year and more than 3,000 total once it’s finished.
“Our region is one of the fastest-growing areas in the province,” said Dr. Jackie Schleifer Taylor, president and chief executive officer of London Health Sciences Centre.
“These funds allow us to effectively grow alongside our community, ensuring access and provision of excellent health care for those who need us.”
The addition of two more operating rooms for orthopedic surgeries like hip and knee replacements has allowed the hospital to decrease operating costs by 56 per cent and reduced the turnover time between patients from 23 minutes to nine minutes.
“This expansion at LHSC is part of our mission to ensure everyone in Middlesex and southwestern Ontario has access to quality health care when they need it,” said McNaughton.
McNaughton also unveiled $1,314,703 in funding from the province’s Surgical Innovation Fund for LHSC, St. Joseph’s Health Care and the Middlesex Hospital Alliance, to help them reduce wait times and increase access to care.
St. Joseph’s Health Care London will receive $251,103 of the funding to transfer more patients from the main operating room into clinics.
The Middlesex Hospital Alliance will be getting $233,600 to upgrade its HVAC system and for Strathroy Middlesex General Hospital to purchase additional ultrasound machines, stretchers and portable bedside monitors.
An LHSC spokesperson said the $830,000 received as part of the Surgical Innovation Fund will be used for equipment and supplemental surgical needs, including C-Arm imaging, surgical instrumentation and a multi-purpose operating room to support child and youth surgeries.
“We are very grateful for the ability to expand health care to support our growing community and thank the Ontario government for its ongoing commitment to investing in health care,” a spokesperson for LHSC said in a statement.
“Throughout the pandemic, Ontario’s hospitals have been unwavering in their commitment to ensuring that Ontarians receive the exceptional care they need, when they need it,” said Christine Elliott, deputy premier and minister of health.
“This new fund will support hospitals across the province as they develop the innovative solutions needed to continue to provide high-quality care and ramp up surgical capacity, reducing wait times and improving access to surgical services for patients.”
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