Premier McGinty: Responding to pressures from the Ontario Liberal Government, Peterborough Regional Health Centre is proposing to eliminate 71 desperately needed surgical, intensive care and medical care beds. The impact of eliminating 150 full time equivalent positions is that over 200 full and part-time employees at PRHC will lose their jobs. These cuts fly in the face of the government's "Put Patients First" policy, increasing wait times, reducing the quantity and quality of direct patient care by front line staff, and increasing the risks of infection and safety hazards by eliminating important support positions. These are the most serious hospital cuts proposed for any community in Ontario which directly cut care and service to patients. The government report leading to these cuts occurred when PRHC was still in transition from an old to new facility and when major changes were taking place in administration. The report failed to consult many stakeholders in the hospital and broader community and failed to measure community needs and current levels of demand for services by hospital physicians, nurses, RPNs, support staff and social support workers, all of which require the support of a fully functional hospital. PRHC already has some of the longest wait times for emergency care in the province, and these measures will just make matters worse. We have met with Jeff Leal, our MPP, and made him aware that the Peterborough community expects him to do his job to secure adequate funding for our local hospital that meets local needs and enables hospital administrators and staff to provide the excellent levels of service that his constituents deserve. Mr. Leal's effectiveness as an MLA will be measured by his willingness to stand up for high quality, public health care in the Peterborough community and his ability to win the necessary funding to stop the cuts now. Premier McGinty, we ask you to support PRHC and other hospitals in Ontario by providing the necessary funding to "Put Patients First".

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