Dear friends,
It has been a busy season here at the Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care. Before the Legislature rose for the holidays, I passed my first piece of legislation as Minister of Health and Long-Term Care - Bill 21, Safeguarding Health Care Integrity Act. This new legislation protects Ontario's voluntary blood and plasma donor model and strengthens the oversight of medication provided to patients through hospital pharmacies.
In early February, I announced the next phase of Ontario's Action Plan for Health Care - called Patients First. This plan continues to build on our government's commitment to put people and patients first by improving their health care experience. Our focus is on providing faster access to the right care and delivering better coordinated and integrated care in the community. We will provide the education, information and transparency Ontarians need to make the right decisions about their own health, and protect our universal public health care system by making decisions based on quality and evidence to sustain our system for generations to come.
Included in this season's newsletter are some of the events and announcements that I took part in to begin delivering on the commitments outlined in my Action Plan.
I look forward to working with you as we continue to make progress on our shared goals.
Dr. Eric Hoskins
Minister of Health and Long-Term Care
