Ontario hospitals say they have $1 billion in funding needs | CBC News

"Ontario hospitals need an additional $1 billion this year to keep pace with factors such as population growth and inflation, leaving them facing pressures far higher than the deficits they faced at the end of last year, their association says. Hospitals across the province struggled with deficits, with many of them small and large, urban and rural ending the year in the red."

"The overall hospital deficit for 2024-25 was $360 million, the Ontario Hospital Association (OHA) says, down from the initial projection of $706 million, thanks to some year-end revenues including government funding. But that still left the hospital sector entering 2025-26 saddled with that previous year's deficit and when adding in this year's so-far unfunded cost pressures, hospitals need another $1 billion, they say. That's even when factoring in government funding of up to $1.1 billion announced in the spring budget."

""Hospitals are facing kind of a multitude of complex challenges financial challenges, operational challenges and pressures ... things like inflation, the increased demand for services," Melissa Prokopy, the OHA's vice-president of policy and advocacy, said in an interview. "We have continued to look for efficiencies over the years and in fact are the most efficient province with respect to hospitals, but ways for us to be able to do this, things like carefully managing admissions, thinking about how do we use innovations to shorten length of stay, these can only get us so far.""

Ontario hospitals require an additional $1 billion this year to address population growth, inflation and other rising costs, compounding existing deficits. The overall hospital deficit for 2024-25 was $360 million, down from a projected $706 million after year-end revenues and government funding. Hospitals enter 2025-26 carrying the prior deficit while facing new unfunded cost pressures. Spring budget funding of up to $1.1 billion still falls short of identified needs. Hospital leaders cite complex financial and operational pressures and limited further efficiency gains. The government says it is working with hospital partners to ensure tools for high-quality care.

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