Ontario's doctors say they are committed to working with the provincial government to solve pressing health care issues.
With the legislature back in session Tuesday, the Ontario Medical Association is proposing three short term solutions to improve patient care and relieve pressure on the system.
The OMA wants to see licensing for more foreign-trained physicians with more residency opportunities and a government assessment to see who could practice immediately.
Next, it would like to see new standalone centres to perform less complicated outpatient surgeries and procedures covered by OHIP. the Integrated Ambulatory Centres would ease the burden on hospitals and reduce wait times.
And doctors wants more hospice beds and palliative care services to improve the patient experience, support caregivers and reduce pressures on emergency departments.
The association wants to work with the government to develop a centralized referral system. It would ensure patients most in need of high-demand surgeries and procedures would be distributed among available doctors, regardless of where they live.
The Ontario Medical Association has also created a detailed roadmap for what needs to be done over the next four years, called Prescription for Ontario: Doctors' 5-Point Plan for Better Health Care.
"Our three solutions come from the experience doctors have of going to work every day and night with the goal of providing high-quality, compassionate patient care," said OMA President Dr. Rose Zacharias. "We see the problems first-hand and are committed to working with the government to fix them."
"Ontario's doctors have a plan to help more patients get care faster," said OMA CEO Allan O'Dette. "Solutions like licensing foreign-trained physicians, opening more centres for outpatient procedures, and creating more hospice and palliative care beds will help address the challenges we are facing in Ontario's health-care system."
