Opposition Leader Patrick Brown: Stop the Cuts to Doctors in Ottawa

QUEEN’S PARK – After spending the weekend in Ottawa where he toured the Royal Ottawa Mental Health Centre, Leader of the Official Opposition Patrick Brown used this morning’s Question Period to highlight the Wynne Liberal Government’s cuts to physician services in Ottawa.

“I heard story after story about the impact of this government’s cuts to physician services,” said Leader Patrick Brown. “Two graduating dermatology residents were forced to relocate. One family doctor was forced to fire two staff, impacting 2,500 patients. Four family doctors had to close their offices one day a week impacting 5,000 patients. Thirteen family doctors had to limit their flu shot clinics, and that impacted 17,000 patients. Those were all just in Ottawa!”

Last year, the Liberal Government slashed physician services by $815-million, and the only support offered in the budget was keeping  the physician services budget within a “predictable” framework. Instead, the Liberal Government is spending approximately $1-billion a month to pay interest on the provincial debt, which is money which could be invested in front-line health care services.

“There is nothing in this budget to help these family doctors and their patients. Why?” Leader Patrick Brown asked.