TORONTO - Ontario's special adviser on health care says that on any given day, at least 1,000 people are being treated in hospital hallways.
The first report from Dr. Rueben Devlin and the premier's council on improving health care says hallway medicine is a significant problem in Ontario.
The next report is set to contain a series of recommendations, but some themes identified in the first document include a greater need for innovation and efficiency to decrease hospital overcrowding.
It says that Ontario's health-care system can be characterized as decentralized, large and siloed, noting there are 21 health-related government agencies supporting the design and delivery of health care in Ontario.
Recent media reports have indicated the government is considering shutting down those agencies and folding them into one super agency.
Devlin's report says the 21 agencies are not always well-aligned "and there is limited strategic oversight to ensure the efficient and co-ordinated use of resources."
