The following text may have been generated by Optical Character Recognition, with varying degrees of accuracy. Reader beware!

www.oakvillebeaver.com The Oakville Beaver, Wednesday March 21, 2007 - 5 GTA residents want larger share of healthcare funding The majority of residents in Halton and the GTA say hospitals in their area don't receive a fair share of provincial funding and that the quality of health care has declined because of underfunding, according to a recent poll. The public opinion survey of 500 adults, conducted between March 5 and 14 by Léger Marketing and Redfern Research, also found that more than half of the residents in Durham, Halton, Peel and York say the issue of improving local access to health care will be very important in how they vote in the next provincial election. A further 37 per cent say it will be at least somewhat important. "GTA/905 residents believe that it is time for the government to address the underfunding issue," said Kirk Corkery, chair of the GTA/905 Healthcare Alliance. "I think many people will be disappointed if the government doesn't respond to what is obviously a key concern for more than one quarter of the population of the province." Other key findings of the survey reveal that among GTA/905 residents: · 46 per cent believe their hospitals get less than their fair share of provincial funding · Less than one-third believe their hospitals are treated fairly compared to other regions of the province · 83 per cent strongly agree their community hospitals should receive a fair share of provincial funding · More than half agree the quality of hospital care in the GTA/905 has declined because of underfunding, while less than one-quarter disagree · Most say hospital access hasn't improved in the last five years, with 27 per cent saying access has actually gotten worse · 81 per cent strongly agree it's important to have access to hospital care close to home · 52 per cent of those who needed hospital care last year had to leave their community to obtain some of that care. "This survey confirms that many of the 3 million people living in the GTA/905 know that the provincial government's funding of their local hospitals is not keeping pace with their booming communities," said Tariq Asmi, executive director of the GTA/905 Healthcare Alliance. In terms of wait times, the poll found 48 per cent of people in the GTA/905 say the provincial government has done a poor or very poor job of reducing wait times for health care in their community, while 24 per cent gave the Province a fair grade. Only 14 per cent of those surveyed say the Province has done a good or very good job in reducing wait times. A recent PricewaterhouseCoopers study showed that GTA/905 residents are receiving $214 less per resident for hospital care annually compared to the provincial average. For background information and poll analysis visit the GTA/905 Healthcare Alliance website at www.gta905health.com King StreetTM Sleigh Queen Bed. Reg. $3499 Now $2599 Irving ParkTM Pencil Poster Queen Bed. Reg. $3199 Now 2399 FredericksburgTM Mansion Queen Bed Reg. $3499 Now $2649 What's Past is Prologue. The freshest looks in traditional living on sale. FredericksburgTM Panel Queen Bed. Reg. $3399 Now $2399 If you think you've been there and done that, think again. Discover traditional looks with a fresh, of-the-moment twist. There's never been a better time. The Anniversary Sale ends soon. AT YOUR SERVICE Free in-home design assistance available. So you.TM Sale prices valid only on purchases made between April 1 to April 18, 2007. Not valid on prior sales. Upholstery pieces priced as shown and may vary with fabric choice and size. See store for details. ©2007 Thomasville Furniture Industries, Inc. All rights reserved. So YouTM is a trademark of Thomasville Furniture Industries. Thomasville reserves the right to discontinue models and change specifications at any time without notice. Every great room starts with an adjective. What's yours? BUCKINGHAM CENTER TABLE $000 409 BRANT STREET, BURLINGTON 905-333-6670 1-888-846-7845 Monday to Saturday 9:30-5:30, Thursday & Friday 9:30-9:00, Sunday 12:00-5:00 w w w. t h o m a s v i l l e b u r l i n g t o n . c o m