Toronto – Head of Ontario Hospital Association says hospitals should not lose nurses and doctors to a new system of private clinics the government will use to reduce surgical backlogs.
Anthony Dale says the new model of care will take a lot of work and present many risks along the way.
The province announced earlier this week that it would build new surgical centres, including knee and hip replacement procedures in private facilities, as part of its strategy to reduce the surgical backlog.
Dell says the biggest concern for hospitals is not staff shortages due to the new system.
He also says it will be important for clinics to have a strong relationship with the hospital in case something goes wrong during hip and knee surgeries.
The province says security measures will be taken by the new surgical centers to protect hospital staff from poaching.