NDP Critic for Health and Long-Term Care France Gélinas is calling on the McGuinty government to end competitive bidding in home care.

“The current competitive bidding model has decimated not-for-profit home care providers. It has compromised the quality of care provided to Ontarians and seriously undervalued and under-compensated those dedicated to providing home care,” said Gélinas at a press conference today with homecare workers and members of the Service Employees International Union (SEIU) Local 1.on.

“The McGuinty Liberals should listen to Ontarians and finally put an end to competitive bidding in home care,” said Gélinas, MPP for Nickel Belt.

After massive community opposition in the Hamilton area to the loss of two longtime not-for-profit agencies to continue to provide home care service due to the McGuinty Liberals’ insistence on a competitive bidding process, Minister of Health and Long-Term Care George Smitherman finally halted the process.

However, Smitherman gave no indication that the awarding of any new home care contracts would be completely void of the competitive bidding process.

“Home care services help keep people independent longer, they are an economical way of keeping our seniors healthier and they reduce the need for more expensive health care services,” said Gélinas.

“New Democrats will continue to urge the McGuinty Liberals to end competitive bidding in home care across the province. Ontarians deserve the highest standard of care delivered by the right provider as close to home as possible. They deserve assurances that the destructive, competitive bidding process will not become the model used in their communities,” said Gélinas.