Hastings-Quinte Emergency services is ready to use its expertise to help the province of Ontario “modernize” its health care services.
At the Emergency Services Committee meeting on Wednesday, local officials indicated they have had a great deal of experience in the last few years in new research in technology and experimenting in changes to health care.
Commenting on the government’s Discussion Paper: Emergency Health Services Modernization, Chief of Paramedics Doug Socha tells Quinte News that the Quinte Hastings system has been involved in a lot of research projects and should be making recommendations to the province.
Socha said, “We are looking forward to a province that is receptive to the information we are providing. There is a lot of experience in Ontario from a number of stakeholders that can provide some positive input for change and how it can better the system. So I think it’s incumbent on us to make those recommendations and offer solutions at the same time. I think the province needs to be receptive to that information.”
Committee Chair Karen Sharpe says one of the main issues for this area is having ambulances out on inter-facility calls for patients who do not have high needs.
Socha added: “So I think we’ve got a lot to offer. We have an excellent relationship with Prince Edward County in how two municipalities can work together providing paramedic services. So, I think there’s a lot that we can offer the province in what’s working. And from those examples we’ve learned a lot and can offer a lot of solutions as well.”
The province is accepting input to the health services review until February 12.
