News Release: Jones – Calls on Premier to Match Historic Commitment to Mental Health Services

(Queen’s Park) – Sylvia Jones, questioned the Premier on a Globe and Mail article which reported that that the majority mental health patients do not see a psychiatrist within 6 months of being treated in an emergency room.

“This morning’s Globe and Mail article reinforced what many of us have known for years. If you need mental health care in Ontario, you will end up on a waitlist,” said Jones.

“According to a study in the Canadian Medical Association Journal, only 40 per cent of those who attempted suicide saw a psychiatrist within six months of their visit to the emergency room,” said Jones.

“That’s 45,000 individuals in Ontario without the care they need when they need it,” said Jones.

“Ontario’s mental health care is in crisis, and that is why Patrick Brown and the PC Party have committed to the largest provincial investment in mental health in Canadian history. That is a $1.9 billion increase for mental health services in Ontario,” said Jones.

“Will the Premier match the $1.9 billion commitment that the Progressive Conservative Party has made in the People’s Guarantee?” said Jones.