The Ontario government is providing over $5.5 million to support more permanent new beds, base funding and more for Northumberland Hills Hospital in Cobourg.
On Friday morning, Northumberland-Peterborough South MPP David Piccini and Parliamentary Assistant to the Minister of Health Dawn Gallagher Murphy announced a net-new base funding increase of $2.1 million to support 10 permanent new beds for 2023-2024, along with over $1.5 million for expanded on-call service.
The hospital is also receiving an overall increase in funding of $1.8 million.
“The Ontario government is building a stronger public health system, with care that is closer to home and more convenient for Ontarians,” said Piccini. “This is another big increase in base funding for NHH that builds on historic investments we have made in this unbelievable hospital who boast such remarkable staff who do great work. They deserve it.”
Murphy says the combined investments provides the hospital with support to address rising community needs and receive “world-class” care.
“Ensuring Ontarians have the care they need, when and where they need it, is a core promise of our government,” said Murphy. “The more than $5.5 million investment in the healthcare services provided by Northumberland Hills Hospital is a clear demonstration of this commitment.”
Hospital president and CEO Susan Walsh says the government’s “ongoing commitment” to the hospital and community is “greatly appreciated.”
“Maintaining consistent revenue is critical to the smooth delivery of high-quality services today, and to future planning,” said Walsh. “Today’s funding announcement builds further on previous good news from the government and will help to strengthen our ability to meet the needs of a growing and aging population here in west Northumberland. Of particular note in today’s announcement is the news received from our MPP earlier this week of $2,190,000 in net new base funding for the current 2023/24 fiscal year. This is indeed welcome news.
“Notwithstanding additional pressures related to inflationary and other costs, the government’s commitment to this much needed funding will allow us to better match funded capacity to actual operations and be better prepared for growth,” she said.
Piccini and Murphy say prior to Friday’s announcement, they had met with hospital representatives to learn how the funding supports better patient-centred care and the hospital’s ability to sustain core services and adjust for growth.
The province says its $850-million investment in 2023-24 represents a four per cent increase on operating funding to hospitals from 2022-2023.
Over the last three years, the government says it has added more than 3,500 hospital beds across Ontario. Through 50 new major hospital development projects, another 3,000 new hospital beds are expected over the next 10 years.
— more to come.