‘Wait times are a canary in the coal mine’: Report says hospital deficits are worsening patient care across Ontario

By Bethan Bates, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, KawarthaNOW Hospital deficits are damaging patient care due to increased wait times, reduced staffing capacity, and a devaluing of healthcare in Ontario, says a new report from the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives (CCPA) commissioned by the Ontario Council of Hospital Unions. “Wait times are a canary in the coal mine,” said Andrew Longhurst, senior researcher and political economist for the CCPA, at a media conference at the Peterborough Public Library on Thursday (May 14). This new data shows that emergency room and admission wait …