Local health units won't be merging anytime soon, despite the provincial government attempting to incentivize the matter.
As part of the Ministry of Health's new strategy, one-time funding was only available this year to health units that voluntarily merge.
Health Units will receive one per cent base funding increases over the next three years, but funding for COVID-19 measures was also removed this year. The only way to unlock more funding, was to undergo "voluntary mergers."
Grey Bruce Public Health Board Chair Sue Carleton says they explored merging with nearby units, but decided against it.
"I think others were the same as us. They had reached out to see if there was interest, but unless there's going to be savings to be had and a benefit to local residents, it doesn't make sense," she said.
In a statement, Huron Perth Public Health said it participated in discussions when other Health Units reached out, but having just gone through a merger during COVID, they weren't actively seeking another.
Carleton said it wasn't totally clear if mergers were mandatory, but said they looked into it so they could cover all basis.
"We felt we need to do our due diligence to show whether a merger could take place or not. We have since written to the ministry outlining the efforts we took and what our responses, just to be sure that, if there were going to be funds available going forward to facilitate a merger, we wanted to be in a position to access those funds," she said.
She said based on how many mergers have been announced, it doesn't appear that much funding will be handed out this year.
Meanwhile, GBPH says it will maintain the same service levels in its 2024 budget, despite the $16.5 million budget decreasing from last year's $17.8 million one.
Carleton says no permanent union employees were laid off as a result, but some changes were made to contract staff.
"Through COVID, there had been nursing staff on to help through that and they were under contract," she said. "So those contracts were due to expire and they simply weren't renewed because there was no new COVID funding for that."
The budget required a 1% funding increase from both Grey and Bruce counties.
Carleton says they didn't have to sacrifice any opportunities to make the money work for this year.
"That's my impression from staff, that there was nothing out there that they wanted to start moving forward with that we couldn't do and we were able to preserve all the existing services that are being offered and not lose any other staff beyond the contract positions that we didn't need to renew," she said.