Ontario’s current approach to medical care is unsustainable and can’t be fixed simply by spending more tax dollars. Instead of being a health care system, it is actually a sick care system that focuses on treating illness rather than trying to prevent it. The Green Party of Ontario will improve the efficiency of health care spending by diverting more resources into health promotion and disease and accident prevention. All Ontarians have the right to safe drinking water and clean air, along with nutrition, exercise and strong social supports, as basic requirements for good health.

Uxbridge's hospital, threatened by chronic underfunding, may close its emergency room. The future of the hospital is also subject to debate: will it be an urban hospital, tied to the Markham-Stoufville system? Or does it become a rural hospital? Both options entail serious consequences for Uxbridge residents, but the decisions won't be made in Uxbridge. At the stroke of a pen, funding can be granted or cut, often with little input from residents. The Green Party supports local decision making for matters that affect the community.

There is a shortage of doctors throughout the riding. As family physicians retire, patients who relied on them for years now have to use walk-in clinics. Newcomers have to go on waiting lists. So much for the routine annual checkup... The implications for early diagnosis of serious medical conditions are alarming.