The Provincial Government Is Providing Funding To Connect Huron And Bruce Residents Faster Emergency Care

by Bob Montgomery

Huron-Bruce MPP Lisa Thompson announced last week the provincial government is investing a total of almost $14.5 million between both Huron and Bruce County through the province’s annual Land Ambulance Service Grant to connect people to emergency care faster and increase the availability of ambulances.

In Huron County, the land ambulance funding is being increased by 9%, bringing the province’s total investment in the region to $7,310,485 this year.

Huron County's Chief of Emergency Services, Jeff Horseman, says the funding is the province's 50% share of the cost of delivering paramedic services. He says the increase for Huron County is just over $600,000 and the increase is based on the cost of service from the previous year. Horseman says there have been similar increases across the province and he believes that's a reflection of the costs involved in delivering the service as a result of COVID.

Thompson points out the program allows paramedics to get back out into the community faster and respond to their next 9-1-1 call sooner and has played a significant role in reducing ambulance offload times and increasing ambulance availability for 9-1-1 patients across the province. She says as result of this investment and the dedication of health care professionals, provincial ambulance offload time has been reduced by more than 50% since its peak in October 2022.

Huron County Warden, Glen McNeil, says the County of Huron is grateful for the ongoing support from the province of the land ambulance program. “This 9% increase to our annual funding ensures our paramedic services team can continue to provide rapid response and high-quality emergency care.”