GUELPH — MPP for Guelph Mike Schreiner released the following statement in response to news that a Hamilton primary care clinic is charging patients using a model that allows nurse practitioners to bill directly for access to primary care services.
“Ontarians should never have to pull out their credit card to access primary care. But thanks to the Premier, for-profit clinics are on the rise in Ontario.
Nurse practitioner-led clinics absolutely have an important role to play in relieving the strain on our crumbling healthcare system. But it cannot be at the expense of everyday Ontarians.
It’s time for this government to step up and work with healthcare professionals to close this well-known loophole that allows clinics to charge for primary care.
The best way to do that is to invest in our public healthcare system and the people who keep it running.
Healthcare isn’t a commodity – it’s a human right.”