My question is to the Premier.

On July 26, a senior named Shirley, who lives in Fort Erie, had a fall in her home. Injured and alone, she pressed her Lifeline alert button. Ten minutes later, she received a call from Lifeline, who informed her that they were told she would not get an ambulance for six hours.

Workers are doing everything they can, but this government has ignored their pleas for more resources and, in fact, cut health care resources.

Is the Premier proud that, under his watch, residents who dial 911 have to wait six hours for an ambulance?

I raised this issue back in February.

To the Premier: Just days ago, the Premier said very clearly that health care was just fine. Once again, is the Premier proud that, under his watch, residents are getting taxis five hours late instead of the emergency care that this government is supposed to provide?

Also, I want to be very clear: Taxi drivers in the province of Ontario are not paramedics.

My constituents in Perth–Wellington have been asking for support for our local land ambulance service because paramedics often have to travel long distances across our rural area. They’ve heard of the off-load delays across the province and have been asking for peace of mind to know service will be there when their family needs it.

Can the Minister of Health update this House on how our government is supporting land ambulance services across the province and in my riding of Perth–Wellington?

Can the Minister of Health elaborate on the 911 patient models and explain how this investment is supporting our paramedic services and patients on the ground across the province?

We all understood that as the pandemic was at its height, there were going to be challenges related to surgical and diagnostic backlogs. So we proactively worked with our hospital partners through a government fund of $86 million—the Surgical Innovation Fund. We are supporting hospitals as they develop the innovative solutions they need to continue to provide high-quality care and ramp up surgical capacity, reducing wait times and improving access to surgical services for patients.

I think we all appreciate and understand that when an individual is going in for surgery, it can be a very stressful time. Anything that we can do as a government to smooth that opportunity and make sure that they get access to that surgery quickly is what we are seized at.

At Hamilton Health Sciences, they’ve partnered with Niagara and Mohawk College to successfully develop the operating room assist program. And because of a micro-certification program begun by our government, we will attract more health human resources. They’ve already recruited the first 16—

Additionally, of course, we are expanding the 911 patient model of care that I recently spoke about, so patients can get the help they need in community without having to go to an emergency department. Patients participating in this program received the care they needed up to 17 times faster, with 94% of patients avoiding the emergency departments in the days following. By expanding this service, our world-class paramedics are able to provide even more care for patients in the right place in their homes in community.

As an example, the Guelph-Wellington Paramedic Service, which covers the member’s riding, has a partnership with Hospice Wellington. Eligible patients who call 911 with care needs related to palliative care have the option of being able to be treated at home by paramedics for end-of-life care. Once it’s time to go into a hospice, they are transferred directly there, instead of going through the emergency department first. Patients and families have seen improved outcomes by getting treated immediately in their own homes, with their families by their side, and they get that help faster. It’s working. The communities and the patients and families love the program, and we’re going to expand it.

The seniors’ dental program is clearly one that is embraced and one to be expanded in the province of Ontario, but we have to ensure that those most in need, with that income threshold, are the ones first in line to receive the service.