The Ontario government is taking a significant step to address surgical backlogs by directing public funds to private clinics. Health Minister Sylvia Jones announced a $125 million investment over two years to pay for an estimated 20,000 hip and knee replacements at four privately operated facilities.
Targeting Surgical Wait Times with Private Partnerships
The funding will flow to four specific clinics: the Academic Orthopedic Surgical Associates of Ottawa, Richmond Hill’s Schroeder Ambulatory Centre, Toronto’s OV Surgical Centre, and the Windsor Orthopedic Surgical Centre. This move expands on a previous strategy; in June, the province earmarked $155 million for 57 new community surgical and diagnostic centres to handle MRIs, CT scans, and endoscopies.
Minister Jones framed the investment as "bold action" to help Ontarians "live fuller, more active lives." In a December 8 news release, she stated the government's goal is to "reduce wait times and get more people access to life-changing procedures sooner," helping patients regain mobility and reduce pain.
The Push for Broader Private Sector Role
While this policy is presented as a solution within the public system, it has reignited the debate over private delivery in Canadian health care. Proponents argue that such partnerships are a necessary response to a system in crisis. They point to international comparisons that rank Canada poorly.
A 2024 Commonwealth Fund survey placed Canada seventh out of ten developed nations, scoring low on access to care and administrative efficiency. A January report from the C.D. Howe Institute was even more critical, ranking Canada ninth out of ten and last in the "timeliness" of care.
A Call for Systemic Reform
The argument extends beyond targeted partnerships to a fundamental rethinking of the Canada Health Act. Critics of the current model suggest universality has failed to deliver efficient, timely care. They highlight past efforts, like the Free Trade Medical Network in the late 1990s, which helped Canadians access faster MRI scans in the United States—a service born out of necessity due to domestic wait times.
The core contention is that Ontario, and Canada broadly, must seriously consider increasing the role of private health providers to improve outcomes. The government's latest clinic funding is seen by some as a positive but incremental step, with calls for the "political needle" to move further toward a hybrid or two-tier system that could reduce wait times across the board.
