Investments in emergency care have reduced ambulance offload times by 68 per cent in the past year
September 17, 2026
NEWS
PICKERING — The Ontario government is investing $40,990,391 in the Regional Municipality of Durham to connect more people to emergency care faster and increase the availability of paramedics and ambulances in the community.
“This $40.9 million investment will help Durham Region continue to deliver high-quality emergency care by supporting frontline paramedic services and reducing ambulance offload delays in our hospitals,” said Peter Bethlenfalvy, Member of Provincial Parliament for Pickering‑Uxbridge. “By improving response capacity and ambulance availability, we are helping ensure residents receive timely care when they need it most.”
In Durham Regional, Ontario is increasing land ambulance funding by 10% per cent, bringing the province’s total investment in the region to $40,247,775 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 more than $1 billion in land ambulance funding Ontario is providing municipalities across the province this year, representing an average increase of 9 per cent from 2025.
“Providing increased provincial funding for emergency care in Whitby and other parts of Durham Region is an important investment in ensuring residents can access the care they need when they need it,” said Lorne Coe, MPP for Whitby. “We have seen positive progress in reducing ambulance offload times, and this additional support will help build on that progress, helping patients and residents experience more timely, seamless, and connected care when accessing emergency services.”
In addition, to further reduce delays paramedics encounter when arriving at hospitals to transfer patients, Ontario is investing $742,616 in the Regional Municipality of Durham through the Dedicated Offload Nurses Program to hire nurses and other eligible health professionals dedicated to offloading ambulance patients in hospital emergency departments.
“Our government remains committed to building a stronger healthcare system so that Ontarians can access medical treatment whenever and wherever they need it” said the Hon. Todd McCarthy, MPP for Durham. “This increased investment in the Land Ambulance Service Grant and our Dedicated Offload Nurses Program is a vital investment ensuring Durham Region has the ability to deliver high-quality emergency care by hiring more nurses and other health professionals to care for patients while allowing paramedics to get back into the community for those crucial emergency calls.”
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 collaboration between paramedics and hospital professionals, provincial ambulance offload time has been reduced by approximately 68 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, where and when they need it,” said Sylvia Jones, Deputy Premier and Minister of Health. “With provincial ambulance offload times declining by nearly 70% since 2022, this shows that our plan is working.”
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 in the Dedicated Offload Nurses Program over three years have helped municipalities cover more than 1.6 million 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.
QUOTES
“During life’s most challenging moments, residents need to know help will be there when they call. This increase to our provincial Land Ambulance Service Grant funding and Dedicated Offload Nurses Program recognizes the growing needs of our communities. Thank you to the province for continued investment that will help improve response capacity and strengthen emergency care across Durham Region.”
– John Henry, Regional Chair and Chief Executive Officer for The Regional Municipality of Durham
“This continued funding helps strengthen our ability to serve residents, supports the sustainability of our operations and ensures our teams are equipped to meet the evolving needs of our communities. Region of Durham Paramedic Services extends its sincere gratitude to the province for its continued partnership and investment.”
– Troy Cheseboro, Chief, Region of Durham Paramedic Services“Region of Durham Paramedic Services responds to thousands of emergency calls every year. In those moments, every second counts. This increased investment will help paramedics reach emergencies more quickly and return to the community sooner so they are ready to respond when the next call comes in. We thank the province for helping ensure emergency care remains accessible, reliable and responsive for residents across Durham Region.”
– Mayor Elizabeth Roy, Chair of the Health and Social Services Committee
“This investment will help Durham Region’s paramedics get back on the road sooner and respond more quickly when residents need them most. By strengthening land ambulance services and supporting dedicated offload staff in our hospitals, the province is helping improve emergency care across our growing community.”
– Kevin Ashe, Mayor of Pickering
Additional Resources
Media Contact
Edward White
Office of Peter Bethlenfalvy,
Member of Provincial Parliament, Pickering-Uxbridge
905-509-0336
Peter.bethlenfalvyco@pc.ola.org
Eric Hutchins
Office of Lorne Coe,
Member of Provincial Parliament, Whitby
905-430-1141
Lorne.coeco@pc.ola.org
Doug Ellis
Office of Todd McCarthy,
Member of Provincial Parliament, Durham
905-697-1501
douglas.ellis@pc.ola.org