Ontario expanding publicly funded hip and knee surgeries done in private clinics

Ontario is expanding the delivery of publicly paid orthopedic surgeries through private clinics in an effort to reduce wait lists.

The province is investing $125 million to add upwards of 20,000 orthopedic surgeries at community surgical centres over the next two years.

Health Minister Sylvia Jones says the expansion will reduce wait times for hip and knee replacements.

It opened up a call for applications for new licences to be issued in 2026.

Ontario Premier Doug Ford’s Progressive Conservative government first introduced sweeping changes to the delivery of health care in 2023 in response to a massive surgical and diagnostic test backlog.

Liberal health critic Adil Shamji says he supports the idea under the right circumstances, but adds the province has nowhere near enough guardrails in place to ensure the system will operate safely.