TRILLIUM TALK: Ford government wants these ‘bed-blockers’ booted from Ontario hospitals

Welcome back to Trillium Talk, your must-see briefing from Village Media’s team of journalists at the Ontario Legislature. 

Every Sunday morning, Scott Sexsmith sits down with one of our staffers at The Trillium to talk about the week that was at Queen's Park — and the week ahead.

On the show today is reporter Jack Hauen, who uncovered some eyeopening details about so-called bed-blockers — the "alternative-level-of-care" patients that the Ford government is trying hard to remove from Ontario's hospitals.

Internal documents obtained by The Trillium illustrate the complex needs of these patients, who sometimes can't afford private care, have no family to look after them and medical issues advocates say are too severe for long-term care. Yet if these patients refuse to leave the hospital, they could be fined.

Hauen also brings us up to speed on the latest developments in the Charter challenge over supervised consumption sites, and a newsworthy addition to Premier Doug Ford's staff.

Looking for back episodes of Trillium Talk? You can find those HERE.

Launched two years ago by Village Media, a leader in local journalism across Ontario, The Trillium is a comprehensive news and information source devoted exclusively to insider coverage of provincial politics.

Passionate and plugged in, The Trillium delivers the major political headlines of the day while unpacking complex policy changes and digging deeper into key issues that impact every Ontarian. Our dogged journalists also keep a close watch on legislative debates, question period, public appointments, lobbying activity and regulatory proposals.

The Trillium is a subscription-based news service designed especially for Queen’s Park stakeholders, such as public servants, political staffers, business leaders, lobbyists and strategists. But the site also features free content that is regularly published across our chain of local news sites.

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