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Report from Q ueen's Park By Geoge Ashe, MP.P. On January 19 ,the Honorable Dennis Timbrell, Minister or Health, announced hospital provincial budget allocations for the year 1979/80. As of April 1, 1979, -hospital funding for m-patient active care will increase by 4.5 per cent, after adjustment for bed/population ratio. The Minister has committed that no hospital in Ontario will receive less money this year than last year, even if the bed/population ratio warrants a decrease. In Durham West Riding, both hospitals will receive additional funds. The Ajax and Pickering General Hospital will receive an increase of $241,831 and the Dr. Joseph O. Ruddy General Hospital will receive an increase of $143,409. While these facilities will be operating within very tight budgets, present beds can be maintained and significant staff cutbacks avoided within these allocations. There is no question that this is a challenging and sometimes difficult time for hospitals, and the provincial government. The current year's budget for -health services in Ontario is close to $4 billion, or 28.2 per cent of the entire provincial budget. As the largest singlesegment of provincial spending, it is imperative that we continue to manage the money. wisely, and curb the future costs of health care services. Since hospitalization is an expensive proposition, one way of curbing costs is to direct the emphasis for heaIth care away from the traditional institutions, and shift some of the financial resources to alternative methods of treatment such as day surgery, -out-patient treatment, home care for people with. acute illînesses and extended care in nursing homes. In keeping with thisphilosophy, the Provincial Government has established a-gtidelin in southern Ontario of 3.5 hospital beds for every 1,000 referrêl area population. The hospitals of this province have shown a willingness to change and a flexibility in their planning that augers well for their ability to meet the challenges of transition'There r has been a dramatic upswing in day-hospital programs and other out-patient services. As a result, many more people avoid an overnight hospital stay...and spend that time at home with their families. And, of course, changes-in medical and surgicâl procedures, such as pre-admittance testing, have helped reduce the average length of stay in acute beds from more than 10 days in the 1960s to just over eight days now. The Minister of Health also announced that as of April 1, 1979, a user fee of $9.80 per day will be charged to those occupying a:chronic bed in a public or chronic hospital longer than 60 days. This same fee will apply to those occupying a bed in a provincial psychiatric hospit af longer than 60 days, sùbject to a legislative change in·the next Session. The user feeto chroniè care patients in hospitals (basically to cover food and lodging), is a result of recommendations put forth by the all party Select Committee of the Legislature on Health Care costs last Fall, as well as the Ontario Government/Ontario Medical Association Committee on Methods to Control Health Care Costs in 1977. Both groups determined it was unfair that chronie care patients in nursing homes have always had to pay this food and lodging rate, while the same type of patients in more expensive public hospitals were exempt. The Minister stressed that nobody -is going to be denied. TAKE NOTICE THAT a Public Meeting of The Liquor Licence Board of Ontario will be held at THE ROYAL CANADIAN LEGION HALL, 217 MURRAY STREET, PETERBOROUGH, ONTARIO, on WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 21st, 1979, at the hour of 10:00 o'clock in the forenoon, at which time the Board will hear applications for new licences in accordance with The Liquor Licence Act, 1975 and Regulations thereunder. The following establishments have applied for a licence of the class indicated, and the applica- tions will be entertained at the aforementioned location and time. Anthony's Restaurant 121 Green Street, Whitby Dining Lounge Licence Applicant: Carretto Tavern Limited Cortina Pizza Restaurant 1100 Dundas Street East Whitby Dining Lounge Licence Applicant: Cortina Carry Out (Whitby) Limited AND FURTHER TAKE NOTICE that any person who is resident in the municipality and objects to any application may file the grounds of objection in person at the time and place of the meeting or in writing (copies of which will be forwarded to applicant) to: Executive Director, Liquor Licence Board of Ontario, 55 Lakeshore Boulevard East, TORONTO, Ontario. M5E 1A4. MINISTRY OF CONSUMER AND COMMERCIAL RELATIONS THE LIQUOR LICENCE ACT, 1975 FHH7999 WHITBY FREE health care because of an inablility to pay mne user tee. Automatic exemptions from the chronic care payment will include those on family benefits allowance and on general welfare assistance, as well as those veterans in Sunnybrook and Westminister Hospitals, for whose care we have agreements with the federal government. I will be providing more details on this particular aspect just as soon as they become available. The kind of transition is health care services being encouraged by the Provincial Government cannot take place overnight. It is a slow and for some, a difficult adjustment. However, the Goverment of Oitario believes this transition is necessary, and in the best interest of a cost-efficient but high qualitylbealth care system for Ontario. Remember, it is your tax dollars that we are trying to direct in a responsible and ecjutable manner. Corridor Cap< ers WELCOME HOME Mary, Ron and Jànda. During a happy sun filled holiday in St. James on the west coast of Barbados in the West Indies the McEacherns were entertained by Mr. & Mrs. Sam Chandler, owners of racing stables on the Island. Mr. Chandler is very interested in learning everything he can about ratepayers' associations as he is very anxious to assist his fellow Bajans in bettering their way of life in this manner. He asked for a copy of the Corridor Area Ratepayers Association Charter and Constitution. We will send all the available information to him as soon as possible so they can' begin their. project. Who knows we could become twins and visit back and forth from their Area to our Area. GUIDE MOTHER AND DAUGHTER BANQUET To be held at Guide House, Oshawa on Feb. 14 at 6 p.m. WESTMINSTER CHURCH UCW -- collecting good used clothing, stamps and Xmas cards. Please phone the church for further information. Until next week, Ruth Chambers 728-2103. Board of Management 'wants public The Board of Management for the Whitby Downtown Improvement Area is coming out very strongly in favor of a public transporta- tion system for the town, says Chairman John Roberts. "We feel it is essential to the development and pro- gress of the redevelopment area," he said. A presentation to the town council may be made in the near future. transit EPRESS, WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 7, 1979, PAGE 5 Mistake in newsletter Residents of Ontario Riding are presently recei- ving copies of Norm Cafik's quarterly parliamentary report which is a twenty- page booklet reviewing the activities of the Govérnment of Canada during the last three monthsý Unfortunately on Page 8 of this report, a typographical error has occurred which Mr. Cafik- would like to cor- rect in order to avoid unne- cessary confusion in the minds of his Constituents. The last paragraph on the page should read that those persons receiving Unem- ployment Insurance benefits will be required to return to the Government monies from their Unemployment Insurance if their gross income including Unemployment Insurance payments is more than $20,670. Pay back rate will be thirty pércent of the benefits received above that figure. The original copy created the false impression that there was 100 per cent pay back after an individual received $2,200 gross income. This of course, is fnot the case. ® Ontario Ministry of Labour THE OCCUPATIONAL HEALTII & SAFTY ACT, 1978 (BILL 70) The Occupational Health and Safety Act, 1978, (Bill 70) was given Royal Assent December 15, 1978 but has not been proclaimed as of this date. Copies of the Act are available from the Ontario Government Bookstore, 880 Bay Street, Toronto, Ontario MSS 1Z8 Price - 35 cents per copy A limited number of single copies is available from the Ontario Ministry of Labour offices in Hamilton, Kenora, Kingston, Kitchener, London, Ottawa, Sault Ste. Marie, Sudbury, Thunder Bay, Windsor and the Information Services Branch, 400 University Avenue, Toronto, Ontario M7A 1T7. Doloitte Haskins+Sells CharteredAccountan Loca/Partners: Josef Adam, B.Sc.(Econ.), CA AnthonyJ. Murray, CA Gordon F. Sedgewick,CA Burt R.Waters,FCA Bell Canada Building, Oshawa Centre, RO.Box 800, Oshawa, L1H 7N1 Te/ephone: (416) 579-8202 Offices across Canada and associated firms throughout the world