Ontario’s Progressive conservative government says it is looking at merging ambulance services, and that’s a surprise to the local Quinte area ambulance service.
The government says it plans to streamline the way land ambulance dispatch services are delivered by integrating the 59 emergency health services operators into 10, and 22 dispatch centres into ten.
Chief of Hastings-Quinte Paramedic Services Doug Socha tells Quinte News he had heard nothing directly from the province but had received the news from the Association of Municipalities of Ontario.
Socha cites issues such as increased demand for service.
Centre Hastings has often questioned the timing of ambulance service it gets.
He says it’s important to maintain the highest quality patient care.
Socha says he wants to be at the table for any of the integration discussions.
He and Hastings County CAO Jim Pine have offered to be on any related provincial integration committees.
He indicated unions and the Association of Municipalities of Ontario along with others would also want to be involved.
Global News has quoted Health Minister Christine Elliott as saying it’s about providing quality care and making sure everyone is connected.
A spokesman says the government is working with municipalities and health-care partners, so it is too early to say how many ambulance services the province will end up with.
And Premier Doug Ford is quoted as saying that whatever happens, the service will not go down and he guaranteed that Ontario will retain the same number of paramedics.
