Belleville City Council approved an amendement to a motion that would call on the Hastings Prince Edward Ontario Health Team to deliver a delegation to council about the results it expects from funding it received from the province back in July.
At that time, Bay of Quinte MPP Tyler Allsopp announced in a release that it would be investing $4.45 million to attach up to 10,675 patients in Hastings and Prince Edward.
That money would split among eight primary health care groups within the Hastings Prince Edward Ontario Health Team.
The amendment comes after council received a report giving a review of the City of Belleville’s Physician Recruitment Program and outlining future needs.
According to the report, the city had a 98% success rate in keeping physicians in Belleville for the required five year return of service.
For its retention rate after the required five year return of service, the city reported an 85% retention rate.
According to Ontario Health, Belleville has approximately 15,000 residents currently without a family doctor and in the next five years, retiring physicians may orphan an additional 19,000 residents if new physician recruits are not found.
The report states that the city will need more than 20 new doctors in the next five years, which would represent a $3 million commitment over time.
Councillor Paul Carr requested the amendment, saying that he would like to see the results the health team is expected to achieved with the funding it received back in July.
“This is all about the results, mostly of what the province paid out to the Hastings Prince Edward Ontario Health Team, what they received, what they applied for, what they got, what they’re doing with that, which will then give us an indication of the deficit, so we’ll actually see the numbers to know how much more primary care is necessary.”
The amendment passed in a recorded vote of 7-1.
The lone no vote came from councillor Garnet Thompson.
