Rural and Northern Health Care Framework

Learn more about the report

The Rural and Northern Health Care Panel conducted a series of day-long sessions, conducted an environmental scan and jurisdictional review, had numerous discussions with health care organizations in Ontario, and carried out online public engagement. That work led to the release of a report that identifies a vision for the Rural and Northern Health Care Framework, and contains 12 recommendations for consultation.

The report by the Rural and Northern Health Care Panel was the first of a three-stage approach by the Ontario government to develop the province’s Rural and Northern Health Care Framework. It is being followed by public and stakeholder consultations, and finally by the development of the actual framework.

The Panel report articulates a vision for rural and northern health care in Ontario. It is a vision informed by the specific needs of rural, remote and northern communities. It is also aligned with the province’s broader vision for health care, for a system that helps people stay healthy, delivers quality care when and where they need it and ensures the sustainability of the health system for future generations.

The Panel’s vision is as follows:

A health care system that provides appropriate access and achieves equitable outcomes for rural, remote and northern Ontarians.

The report also contains 12 recommendations to help the government develop its rural and northern health care framework. In addition to the original report, there are also plain language versions of the executive summary and recommendations for easier interpretation of the terminology.

Document Download

Rural and Northern Health Care Recommendations
4 pages | 20 kb | PDF format

Rural and Northern Health Care Framework/Plan
85 pages | 595 kb | PDF format

Rural and Northern Health Care Executive Summary
14 pages | 88 kb | PDF format

Learn more about the Rural and Northern Public Consultations

As part of our work in developing the Rural and Northern Health Care Framework, the ministry commissioned new research by the Institute for Clinical Evaluative Sciences (ICES). The research is an analysis of the distance between communities in rural and northern Ontario and various types of health care services (primary care, emergency departments, hospitals, etc.). The report, "Geographic Access to Primary Care and Hospital Services for Rural and Northern Communities: Report to the Ontario Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care," is now available.

To view PDF format files, you need to have Adobe Acrobat® Reader installed on your computer.
You can download this free software from the Adobe Web site.