Carol Mitchell, MPP for Huron-Bruce, is pleased to announce today that the Deb Matthews, Minister of Health and Long-Term Care has approved the Grey Bruce Health Services Emergency Department and Laboratory project at the Southampton Hospital site.

“After many years of working together, today’s announcement is great news for the community of Saugeen Shores and the residents of Bruce County. We now have a plan moving forward. These upgrades to the Southampton ED and lab will serve as an impressive recruitment and retention tool for years to come,” said Carol Mitchell, MPP Huron-Bruce.

“We are delighted to receive approval for this much-needed expansion of our Southampton hospital’s emergency and laboratory departments. This is fantastic news for our physicians, nurses, laboratory staff and most importantly the residents of Saugeen Shores who rely on our hospital for their care. The expansion and updating of both departments will be a tremendous asset for recruiting new emergency physicians to the area and sustaining the work of our physicians currently dedicated to staffing the department,” said Maureen Solecki, President and CEO, Grey Bruce Health Services.

The commitment to support the Southampton project is contingent on Grey Bruce Health Services maintaining ED coverage 24 hours per day, seven days per week between now and March 31, 2013 at the Southampton Hospital site.

Grey Bruce Health Services will also be required to increase local coverage of the Southampton ED to a rate of 75 per cent by March 31, 2012 and 100 per cent by March 31, 2013.

“This investment represents a commitment by our government to continue providing quality health care close to home for my constituents now and into the future,” added MPP Mitchell.

Since 2003, base funding for Grey Bruce Health Services has increased by over $24 million

The Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care has invested nearly $1 million and over 5,000 hours of physician coverage to keep the Southampton ED open.