Press Release provided by the Ontario Government
MIDDLESEX - The Ontario government is investing increasing base funding to support improved operations and reduced wait times at Strathroy Middlesex General Hospital and Four Counties Health Services. This funding is part of a $1.1 billion investment into our hospital sector as part of Budget 2026, A Plan to Protect Ontario, which represents a 4 per cent increase in annual support for the fourth year in a row.
The base increases are as follows for 2026-27:
•Strathroy Middlesex General Hospital is receiving a base funding increase of $2,186,300, representing an increase of 5.1% from last years allocation.
•Four Counties Health Services is receiving a base funding increase of $531,100, representing an increase of 4% from last years allocation.
“High-quality health care starts with ensuring our hospitals have the stable, reliable funding they need to meet the needs of our growing communities,” said Steve Pinsonneault, MPP for Lambton–Kent–Middlesex.
“This increased investment in Strathroy Middlesex General Hospital and Four Counties Health Services will help strengthen frontline care, support the dedicated health-care professionals who serve our communities every day, and improve access to the services that patients and families rely on. Our government is committed to building a stronger health-care system that delivers timely, exceptional care.”
“We are grateful for the Province’s continued investment in rural and community hospitals,” said Julie McBrien, MHA President & CEO. “These additional resources will help us continue providing exceptional care while responding to the increasing healthcare needs of the communities we serve.”
This investment will support the operations of the two hospital’s core clinical services so they can better meet patient needs. The HIRF includes funding to help keep hospitals’ emergency departments open, support inflationary or other wage pressures, and reduce wait times for diagnostic imaging and surgical procedures, including MRI, CT, cardiac, stroke, neuroservices, orthopedics and cataracts, so that people can connect to care faster.
“Our government is making historic investments to protect Ontario’s health-care system, ensuring that more people in Lambton-Kent-Middlesex can connect to the care they need, where and when they need it,” said Sylvia Jones, Deputy Premier and Minister of Health. “This investment will allow Four Counties Health Services and Strathroy Middlesex General Hospital to continue delivering the highest standard of care while reducing wait lists and wait times for patients and families, for generations to come.”
Ontario continues to make historic investments in health care. Over the next 10 years, Ontario is investing approximately $64 billion in major health infrastructure.
This is part of the government’s plan to get shovels in the ground on more than 50 major hospital projects across the province, which will deliver approximately 3,000 new hospital beds to enhance access to quality care and build a connected, people-first health-care system.
Through Your Health: A Plan For Connected and Convenient Care, the Ontario government is expanding access to key services to provide people with the right care, in the right place, close to come.
