Dr. Ian Arra, Medical Officer of Well being for Gray Bruce Public Well being, has confirmed that there will likely be no merger between the Gray Bruce Well being Unit (GBHU) and Huron Perth Public Well being (HPPH). This choice comes after years of discussions and proposals aimed toward consolidating varied well being models to streamline public well being administration in Ontario.
The preliminary merger proposal, which started in 2019, was a part of a provincial authorities directive to cut back the variety of well being models in Ontario from 35 to 10. The plan included merging GBHU with the well being models of Perth and Huron, creating a brand new regional entity. This new entity was supposed to begin working by April 2020 and would have shifted an extra 5 % of funding tasks to municipalities. Nonetheless, the COVID-19 pandemic halted the merger course of.
In an replace to Gray County Council on Thursday, June 27, 2024, Dr. Arra acknowledged the board “explored the chance with the neighboring well being models, and the choice was to not proceed with any merger on that entrance.”
Dr. Arra highlighted that whereas the province is growing funding by one % yearly for the following three years, the affect of inflation necessitates finances cuts. Regardless of these monetary constraints, GBHU has managed to keep away from group layoffs, in contrast to different well being models.
In April 2024, Sue Carleton, Chair of the Gray Bruce Public Well being Board, echoed Dr. Arra’s sentiments. She emphasised that the board’s choice was influenced by the dearth of clear advantages and financial savings for native residents. Huron Perth Public Well being additionally participated in discussions however was not actively looking for one other merger, having not too long ago undergone one through the pandemic.
