Hamilton’s NDP MPPs, Andrea Horwath and Paul Miller, are shocked about the latest attack on our dedicated home care providers and on the delivery of health care services as close to home as possible for our most vulnerable citizens.

In January, Horwath and Miller warned community members at a rally to fight competitive bidding in home care to: “Remain vigilant. We’ve won the battle, but we haven’t won the war.”

The war has now moved to a new front: the amalgamation of five local Community Care Access Centre (CCAC) intake offices into one, located in Burlington – in the farthest, least accessible corner of the CCAC boundary. This will remove nurses from their local, accessible community offices and hinder their ability to build patient relationships which are vital to better health care delivery.

Both MPPs raised the issue in the Legislature this morning, insisting that the Liberal government treat our nursing professionals and their patients with the respect they deserve, by stopping this damaging restructuring process.

Once again Hamilton is ground zero for the McGuinty Liberals’ attack on local health care delivery.

Both MPPs committed to fight the restructuring to keep Hamilton offices open for walk-in, person-to-person client service.

“The McGuinty government’s ‘health care by call-centre’ approach does not meet the needs of Hamiltonians,” said Miller.

“We will continue to fight for open, accessible health care, provided by our quality nursing professionals, who have built safe, comfortable relationships with our most vulnerable citizens,” added Horwath.