Ontario is moving ahead with plans to expand the number of private clinics that can perform certain tests and procedures.

Beginning this spring, the government will expand the number of community surgical and diagnostic centres licensed in the province to deliver additional OHIP insured services, such as more MRI/CT scans, and orthopedic surgeries.

Health Minister Sylvia Jones says the changes will reduce wait times.

“When it comes to reducing wait times for surgeries, we aren’t accepting a status quo that leaves too many people waiting too long for care,” said Jones. “Instead, our government is expanding community surgical and diagnostic centres so we can reduce wait times by doing more surgeries in state-of-the-art, convenient and safe facilities, always paid for by your OHIP card, never your credit card.”

Accreditation Canada has been chosen to develop an enhanced oversight and quality assurance program for current and future community surgical and diagnostic centres that, the province says, “will have the same strong requirements as public hospitals in order to  improve quality standards at facilities and ensure consistent patient safety and quality health care. 

In a release, the province says last year, Ontario had the shortest surgical wait times of any province in Canada, with nearly 80 per cent of people receiving their procedure within clinically recommended target times.