Bill 41 Patients First Act
Bill 41, Patients First Act, was passed in December 2016 and expands the role of Ontario’s Local Health Integration Networks (LHINs) to include home and community care, and provides the LHINs with the ability to act on behalf of the Minister to monitor and manage (but not negotiate) contracts with primary care physicians. There has been a webinar prepared by the Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care with an overview of Bill 41: http://www.vvcnetwork.ca/moh/20161212/
Other key changes include:
- Community Care Access Centres (CCACs) will be wound down, with staff and functions being transferred to the LHINs.
- Each LHIN will be divided into “LHIN sub-regions” in total there will be more than 70 sub-regions across the province.
NB – The Champlain LHIN Board of Directors approved the sub-regions for Champlain in September: http://www.champlainlhin.on.ca/GoalsandAchievements/OurStratPlan/SubRegions.aspx CHPCP will work closely with the LHIN on sub region capacity planning for hospice palliative care services.
