More than 400 administrative employees will soon be laid off as the Ford government continues its merger of 20 health agencies into the new Ontario Health.

A total of 416 employees in ”back-office positions” will lose their jobs and another 409 vacant positions will be eliminated.

The province is consolidating 14 local health integration networks or LHINS along with agencies including Cancer Care Ontario and eHealth Ontario.

(Chris Young/Canadian Press)

Health Minister Christine Elliott says the layoffs will result in about $250-million in savings which is equivalent to annual funding for 700 hospital beds and over 6,500 long-term care beds.

”People told us that they wanted more money put into frontline services and that is what we are doing as part of this reorganization,” said Elliott.

”Anytime a job is lost that is a matter of concern for the individual and their families and it is not something that we want to have to do but it really important for the people of Ontario to be able to put more money into those frontline services,” the health minister added.