Written by Simrin Pardal
Have you experienced long wait times while accessing health care services? Had trouble getting access to the specific care that you need? Or had to travel far to access health care services?
The Ontario government has heard your concerns.
Deputy Premier and Minster of Health, Sylvia Jones, recently stated “Our goal is to make health care more convenient for Ontarians by connecting you to care closer to your home.”1
On December 2nd, 2024, the Ontario government introduced the More Convenient Care Act, 2024, which if passed aims to provide more individuals with the “right publicly funded care, in the right place.”2
On May 5th, 2025, the Ontario government re-introduced the More Convenient Care Act, 2025 (Bill 11), which has been passed and is now a part of the Statutes of Ontario, 2025, Chapter 7.3
The More Convenient Care Act remains directed towards protecting the healthcare system for both patients and the healthcare workforce.
This act involves legislative and regulatory changes which will assist people with accessing convenient care, closer to their home.
The first change posed by the More Convenient Care Act is to strengthen governance and transparency. This will be done by creating a transparency framework for staffing agencies in various healthcare settings to disclose administrative mark-up rates in the Health Care Staffing Agency Reporting Act, 2025.
In order to enhance hospital governance, best practices will be defined, and providers will have access to necessary tools and resources needed to deliver high quality-care. The healthcare settings mentioned in the More Convenient Care Act include hospitals, long-term care facilities, and community health sectors.
The next change in the More Convenient Care Act relates to enhancing patient care. This will involve modernizing the provincial electronic health record so that eligible Ontarians are able to access their personal health information online through Health811.
Nurse practitioners will be allowed to complete and sign mandatory blood testing forms which will expand access to care for those submitting applications.
The More Convenient Care Act also mentions that options for consistent and quality mental health and addiction services will be explored.
Finally, ambulance vehicle and equipment standards will be reviewed for patient safety and to improve efficiency for paramedics to access tools needed in emergencies.
The More Convenient Care Act also references the importance of improving service delivery. This change relates to strengthening the authority that the Chief Medical Officer of Health has so that there is greater alignment and consistency of orders which are issued by local Chief Medical Officers of Health across public health unit regions.
The More Convenient Care Act, 2025 builds onto the Your Health: A Plan for Connected and Convenient Care1, which describes a plan based on three pillars.
Of the three pillars outlined in this plan (1) The Right Care in the Right Place, 2) Faster Access to Care, and 3) Hiring More Health Care Workers), the first two pillars have been considered in the More Convenient Care Act, 2025.
The legislative and regulatory changes by the Ontario government through the More Convenient Care Act are meant “to connect Ontarians to the right care, where and when they need it.”4
This will help save patients’ time and shorten waitlists, diagnose illnesses sooner, and allow patients to start treatment as soon as possible, with the ultimate goal of “building healthier communities and bolstering the province’s health care workforce for years to come.”4
References
[1] Ministry of Health. (2023, February 2). Your Health: A Plan for Connected and Convenient Care. https://www.ontario.ca/page/your-health-plan-connected-and-convenient-care
[2] Ministry of Health. (2024, December 2). Ontario Continuing to Build a More Connected and Convenient Health Care System. https://news.ontario.ca/en/release/1005436/ontario-continuing-to-build-a-more-connected-and-convenient-health-care-system
[3] Legislative Assembly of Ontario. (2025). Bill 11, More Convenient Care Act, 2025. https://www.ola.org/en/legislative-business/bills/parliament-44/session-1/bill-11
[4] Ministry of Health. (2024, May 5). Ontario Continuing to Build a More Connected and Convenient Health Care System. https://news.ontario.ca/en/release/1005877/ontario-building-a-more-connected-and-convenient-health-care-system