Commissioner calls for specific measures for French language health services in Peel-Halton
COMMISSIONER CALLS FOR SPECIFIC MEASURES FOR
FRENCH LANGUAGE HEALTH SERVICES IN PEEL-HALTON
NEWS
Toronto, March 30, 2010 – François Boileau, Ontario’s French Language Services Commissioner, released his first-ever formal investigation report today. In it, he concluded that the region of Peel-Halton has lacked integrated French-language health services for over 20 years.
The report reveals that, since the enactment of the French Language Services Act in 1989, the Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care has failed to take steps to ensure that French language health services are delivered to the francophone community in Peel-Halton. It also reveals that the Ministry has systematically rejected repeated proposal submissions for these integrated services from the Francophone community in Peel-Halton. In spite of the fact that this region is a designated area, the Ministry has never really offered alternatives to the community. The Commissioner made three recommendations in his investigation report, including that specific models be developed for the delivery of French-language health services and that these models be implemented by the end of 2010.
QUOTES
“The Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care is ultimately responsible for the lack of French language health services in the region of Peel-Halton. It is up to the Ministry to respond quickly to the Francophone community with solutions, not the other way around. Responsibility for solving this problem is not just up to the community. Consequently, I expect the Ministry to take action, in cooperation with the Local Health Integration Networks that serve this region, in order to remedy this situation, which is a violation of the French Language Services Act,” stated François Boileau.
“For years, the Francophone community in Peel-Halton has faced great difficulties obtaining French-language health services. Good intentions are no longer enough. True, integrated French-language health services must be offered without further delay,” insisted Mr. Boileau.
QUICK FACTS
- The investigation into the lack of French-language health services in Peel-Halton was in response to a complaint filed with the Commissioner’s Office in November 2007. The Commissioner’s Office determined that this complaint was well-founded.
- During the course of his investigation, the French Language Services Commissioner also released a Special Report on French Language Health Services Planning In Ontario in May 2009 in which he made eight recommendations.
LEARN MORE
Consult the Commissioner’s Investigation Report at www.flsc.gov.on.ca .
Consult the Commissioner’s Special Report on French Language Health Services Planning in Ontario, 2009 here.
Marie-Eve Pépin, Communications and Public Relations Officer
Office of the French Language Services Commissioner of Ontario
Phone: 416 314-8247 / Toll-free: 1 866 246-5262 / Cell:416-906-7021
marie-eve.pepin@ontario.ca
www.flsc.gov.on.ca