The Ontario government is investing a total of $14,466,222, in Huron and Bruce counties, through the province’s annual Land Ambulance Service Grant, connecting people to emergency care faster and increasing the availability of ambulances.
"I am pleased that our government continues to increase land ambulance funding because it has an important role in overall emergency care in Huron–Bruce," said Huron-Bruce MPP Lisa Thompson, minister of rural affairs.
In Huron County, Ontario is increasing land ambulance funding by nine per cent, bringing the province’s total investment in the region to $7,310,485 this year.
For Bruce County, Ontario is increasing land ambulance funding by six per cent, bringing the province’s total investment in the region to $7,155,737.
This increase in base funding helps ensure municipalities address increased costs so they can continue to deliver high-quality emergency care.
The program allows paramedics to get back out into the community faster and respond to their next 9-1-1 call sooner. It has also played a significant role in reducing ambulance off-load times and increasing ambulance availability for 9-1-1 patients across the province.
As a result of this investment and the dedication of health-care professionals, provincial ambulance off-load time has been reduced by more than 50 per cent since its peak in October, 2022.
“Bruce County appreciates the continued support for paramedic services from the Ontario government and the tireless advocacy from our MPP, Lisa Thompson,” said Bruce County warden Chris Peabody. “This funding ensures that the region’s residents and visitors continue to receive high-quality and rapid emergency care.”
“The County of Huron is grateful to the province for this ongoing support of the land ambulance program,” said Huron County warden Glen McNeil. “This increase to our annual funding ensures our paramedic services team can continue to provide rapid response and high-quality emergency care.”
To ensure urgent patients receive critical care sooner, Ontario is also continuing to implement the Medical Priority Dispatch System across the province. The system helps to better prioritize and triage emergency medical calls and dispatch paramedics sooner.
Over the past year, the province has rolled out this system in Mississauga, Kenora, Thunder Bay, Ottawa and Renfrew, and is accelerating progress to implement the system at the 15 remaining dispatch sites across Ontario over a year ahead of schedule.
With Your Health: A Plan for Connected and Convenient Care, the government continues to take action to strengthen the health-care system so it is responsive and is evolving to meet the health needs and priorities of Ontarians, no matter where they live.
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Currently, more than 200 patient-care models, led by paramedic services across the province, are now approved to provide appropriate and timely care options for eligible 9-1-1 patients in the community, instead of in the emergency department.
The government is helping more students become paramedics by adding more than 300 spaces in paramedic programs at provincial colleges across Ontario, making it easier for future paramedics to access education and training closer to home.
The Ontario Learn and Stay Grant is providing more than 350 first-year paramedic students studying in select Northern postsecondary institutions, with funding for free tuition, books, compulsory fees and other direct educational costs. After graduating, students will need to work in the same region they studied for a minimum of six months for every full year of study funded by the grant.