As expected, Ontario’s Health Minister has announced the province will offer funding to public health units that want to merge and will reverse cuts to a funding formula.

In a speech to the Association of Municipalities of Ontario conference, Minister Sylvia Jones said she’ll be working with the sector to clarify roles and responsibilities to reduce overlap and will give one-time funding to public health units that voluntarily merge.

The province will increase base funding for public health units by one per cent a year over the next three years.

And after public outcry, Jones also announced the province will return to funding 75 % of public health costs, reversing a cut the government introduced in 2019 when it moved to 70-30 split cost with municipalities.

“Building a stronger public health system, with more convenient and consistent access to public health services, is one more way our government is connecting people in Ontario to health care closer to home,” said Jones.

Ontario is ALSO increasing ambulance funding to municipalities by an average of six per cent, bringing the province’s total investment this year to over $811 million.