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Bill 233, Improving Access to Health Care Act, 2020

Andrew, Jill

Gélinas, France

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Status

Debates

Acts affected

Original

Bill 233 Original (PDF)

EXPLANATORY

NOTE

The

Bill amends various Acts to require the making of specified instruments in

order to implement the recommendations set out in the “Clinical Handbook for

Sickle Cell Disease Vaso-occlusive Crisis”, published by the Provincial Council

for Maternal and Child Health and the Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care. Further,

amendments are made to the Connecting Care Act, 2019

to require the Minister of Health to conduct reviews to determine whether

health care funding is sufficient for patients with sickle cell disease and for

communities impacted by the disease.

Finally,

the Anti-Racism Act, 2017 is amended to require the

Ministry of Health, the Ministry of Long-Term Care, Ontario Health and any

person receiving funding from the Government of Ontario to provide health care

services to take all reasonable steps to ensure that information relating to

the race of patients in Ontario is collected.

Bill 233 2020

Act to amend various Acts with respect to the implementation of a provincial guideline

on sickle cell disease

Preamble

The

people of Ontario and their government:

Recognize

that people with chronic conditions like sickle cell disease may receive

inconsistent care across the province.

Recognize

that sickle cell disease disproportionately affects specific groups, like Black

Ontarians, who have historically received inadequate care because of the lack

of knowledge of the symptoms of and treatment for sickle cell disease.

Recognize

that people who suffer from sickle cell disease experience chronic symptoms

that should be recognized as a disability.

Believe

that implementing a provincial guideline on sickle cell disease will reduce the

average hospital stay and visits to emergency departments.

Believe

that a provincial guideline on sickle cell disease is part of a larger goal of

delivering patient-centred care within a provincial health care system that meets

the health care needs of racialized and vulnerable populations and delivers

equitable outcomes.

Therefore,

Her Majesty, by and with the advice and consent of the Legislative Assembly of

the Province of Ontario, enacts as follows:

Anti-Racism

Act, 2017

(1) Subsection 6 (7) of the Anti-Racism Act,

2017 is repealed.

(2) The

Act is amended by adding the following section:

Mandatory

collection in the health sector

6.1

(1) The

Ministry of Health, the Ministry of Long-Term Care, Ontario Health and any person

who receives funding from the Government of Ontario to provide health care

services shall take all reasonable steps to ensure that information relating to

the race of patients in Ontario is collected.

Same

(2) Unless

already provided for in the data standards and the regulations made under

subsection 6 (5), the data standards are deemed to list any personal

information necessary for the purposes of subsection (1) and the regulations

are deemed to require the collection of such personal information.

Connecting

Care Act, 2019

The Connecting Care Act, 2019 is amended by adding

the following section:

Directives

respecting sickle cell disease

20.1

(1) The

Minister shall issue directives under

section 20 that are necessary to

effectively implement the recommendations set out in the document entitled

“Clinical Handbook for Sickle Cell Disease Vaso-occlusive Crisis”, published by

the Provincial Council for Maternal and Child Health and the Ministry of Health

and Long-Term Care and dated December 12, 2017.

Review

(2) The

Minister shall ensure that reviews are conducted to determine whether health

care funding is sufficient for patients with sickle cell disease and for communities

impacted by the disease.

Consultation

(3) Any

review referred to under subsection (2) shall include consultation with patient

advocacy groups.

Timing

of reviews

(4) The

first review referred to in subsection (2) shall be conducted within one year

after the Improving Access to Health Care Act, 2020

comes into force and subsequent reviews shall be conducted within five years of

the completion of the previous review.

Local

Health System Integration Act, 2006

The Local Health System Integration Act, 2006 is amended

by adding the following section:

Provincial

standards on sickle cell disease

11.3 The Minister shall

issue provincial standards under

section 11.2 to local health integration

networks and health service providers that are necessary to effectively

implement the recommendations set out in the document entitled “Clinical

Handbook for Sickle Cell Disease Vaso-occlusive Crisis”, published by the

Provincial Council for Maternal and Child Health and the Ministry of Health and

Long-Term Care and dated December 12, 2017.

Public

Hospitals Act

The Public Hospitals Act is amended by adding the

following section:

Directives

respecting sickle cell disease

8.2 The Minister shall

issue any operational or policy directives under

section 8.1 to the boards of

hospitals that are necessary to effectively implement the recommendations set

out in the document entitled “Clinical Handbook for Sickle Cell Disease Vaso-occlusive

Crisis”, published by the Provincial Council for Maternal and Child Health and

the Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care and dated December 12, 2017.

Commencement

This Act comes into force on the day it receives Royal Assent.

Short

title

The

short title of this Act is the Improving Access to Health

Care Act, 2020 .

Date Bill stage Event Outcome Committee

November 19, 2020

First Reading

Vote

Carried

Debates and Progress

First Reading

November 19, 2020

Committee

Second Reading

Committee

Third Reading

Royal Assent

Acts affected - Bill 233

Most Ontario public acts are available electronically; to view copies of the Acts to be amended by this bill visit e-laws

Anti-Racism Act, 2017

Connecting Care Act, 2019

Local Health System Integration Act, 2006

Public Hospitals Act

Legislative Assembly of Ontario

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