Ontario Connecting More People to Faster Emergency Care
September 15, 2025
Investments in emergency care have reduced ambulance offload times by 65 per cent
WATERLOO — The Ontario government is investing $32,152,605 in Waterloo Region to connect more people to emergency care faster and increase the availability of paramedics and ambulances in the community.
“Our government is boosting land ambulance funding in Waterloo Region by 14 per cent so paramedics can respond faster and get back on the road sooner,” said Mike Harris, MPP Kitchener-Conestoga. “These investments mean quicker care in emergencies and stronger frontline health care for families in our community.”
In Waterloo Region, Ontario is increasing land ambulance funding by 14% per cent, bringing the province’s total investment in the region to $ 30,608,871 this year. This increase in base funding helps ensure municipalities address increased costs so they can continue to deliver high-quality emergency care. This investment is part of the almost $1 billion in land ambulance funding Ontario is providing municipalities across the province this year, representing an average increase of 8.7 per cent from 2024.
In addition, to further reduce delays paramedics encounter when dropping patients off at a hospital, Ontario is investing $1,543,734 in Waterloo Region through the Dedicated Offload Nurses Program to hire more nurses and other eligible health professionals dedicated to offloading ambulance patients in hospital emergency departments.
The program allows paramedics to get back out into the community faster and respond to their next 9-1-1 call sooner and has played a significant role in reducing ambulance offload times and increasing ambulance availability for 9-1-1 patients across the province. As a result of this investment and the dedication of health-care professionals, provincial ambulance offload time has been reduced by approximately 65 per cent since its peak in October 2022.
“Our government is making record investments to protect Ontario’s health-care system and connect people to the care they need, when they need it,” said Sylvia Jones, Deputy Premier and Minister of Health. “Through these additional investments, we are providing paramedics and emergency departments with the tools they need to connect more people across the province to high-quality emergency care, faster and closer to home.”
To ensure urgent patients receive critical care sooner, Ontario is also continuing to implement the Medical Priority Dispatch System (MPDS) across the province. The system helps to better prioritize and triage emergency medical calls and dispatch paramedics sooner. The province has expanded the use of MPDS to Mississauga, Kenora, Thunder Bay, Ottawa, Renfrew, Georgian, Kingston, Lindsay, Oshawa and Timmins and is accelerating progress to implement the system at the 10 remaining Central Ambulance Communication Centres across Ontario over a year ahead of schedule.
Through Your Health: A Plan for Connected and Convenient Care, the Ontario government continues to take bold and decisive action to protect the province’s health-care system and ensure people and their families have access to high-quality care closer to home for generations to come.
QUICK FACTS
- The government’s additional investments into the Dedicated Offload Nurses Program over three years will help municipalities cover around 800,000 dedicated hours to support offloading ambulance patients in the emergency department.
- Currently over 300 patient care models led by paramedic services across the province are now approved to provide appropriate and timely care options for eligible 9-1-1 patients in the community, instead of in the emergency department.
- To help increase the number of paramedics in the province, the expanded Ontario Learn and Stay Grant provides students studying in the first year of a paramedic program at select post-secondary institutions with funding for free tuition, books, compulsory fees and other direct educational costs. After graduating, students will be required to work in the same region they studied in, for a minimum of six months for every full year of study funded by the grant.
- The Ontario government has helped more students who want to become a paramedic in Ontario by adding more than 300 student spaces in paramedic programs at provincial colleges across Ontario.
ADDITIONAL QUOTES
“We all know how important it is to have paramedics available when emergencies happen. By investing in evidence-based programs that work, like the Dedicated Offload Nurses Program, and by increasing ambulance funding here in Waterloo Region, our government is making sure paramedics spend less time waiting in hospitals and more time responding to calls in our community. I’m especially thankful to our local paramedics, nurses, and health-care teams for the work they do every day to keep families here safe.” – Jess Dixon, MPP Kitchener South – Hespeler
“The news of improved access to emergency services in Waterloo Region is truly encouraging. A 65% reduction in ambulance offload times will significantly enhance response efficiency, ensuring faster care for those in need and ultimately saving lives within our community.” – Brian Riddell, MPP Cambridge
“We’re grateful to the provincial government for this increase in land ambulance funding and the continued support of the Designated Offload Nursing Program. Reducing offload delays means our paramedics can return to the community faster – responding to emergencies, supporting patients, and saving lives. Thank you to our local hospital partners for their continued support of the program, which plays a vital role in improving patient flow and emergency care.”
– Karen Redman, Chair, Regional Municipality of Waterloo
“Region of Waterloo Paramedic Services continues to collaborate closely with our hospital partners to streamline processes that help paramedics return to the community more quickly, ensuring they are available to respond to 9-1-1 calls for medical emergencies. We sincerely appreciate the Ministry of Health’s ongoing investment in both the Designated Offload Nurse Program and the Land Ambulance Grant funding as these investments help us ensure Paramedic resources are available to respond to those in need.”
– John Riches, Chief of Paramedic Services, Region of Waterloo Public Health and Paramedic Services
ADDITIONAL RESOURCES