This is an archive of news stories and research from the National Union of Public and General Employees. Please see our new site - https://nupge.ca - for the most current information.
61 of 158 institutions failed to balance their books in the fiscal year that ended on March 31.
Toronto (20 July 2010) - Figures obtained by The Canadian Press show that 61 Ontario 158 public hospitals continue to run deficits.
By law hospitals are forbidden from running deficits in Ontario but they can apply for waivers in certain circumstances if they come up with an acceptable plan to balance their books.
For the year ended March 31, the total hospital debt amounted to a shortfall of $107 million, the national news agency reports.
This means that the picture "remains largely unchanged" from the previous year when 61 hospitals reporting shortfalls accumulated debts totalling $154 million, it adds.
Ontario hospitals receive about 85% of their funding from the government through the province's Local Health Integration Networks [LHINs].
The networks were set up by the Liberal government of Premier Dalton McGuinty to make local health care decisions and dispense public cash.
The largest deficits in the 2009-10 year were at the Peterborough Regional Health Centre (almost $14 million), the Sault Area Hospital ($13.6 million) and the North Bay General Hospital ($10 million).
NUPGE
The National Union of Public and General Employees (NUPGE) is one of Canada's largest labour organizations with over 340,000 members. Our mission is to improve the lives of working families and to build a stronger Canada by ensuring our common wealth is used for the common good. NUPGE