Bill 11, More Convenient Care Act, 2025

Summary#

This Ontario law, called the More Convenient Care Act, 2025, changes several health laws to make care more connected, add transparency, and set new privacy rules. It creates a new public health board in Hamilton, expands French-language obligations for a provincial health service organization, requires reporting by health staffing agencies, and sets up a digital health identifier system with privacy safeguards.

• Creates an independent Board of Health for the City of Hamilton and clarifies how it works with the city.
• Applies the French Language Services Act to the province’s health service organization so people can get more services in French.
• Requires temp health staffing agencies to report billing and pay-rate data to the Minister of Health; allows the government to publish some of it.
• Requires local medical officers of health to get the Chief Medical Officer of Health’s written approval before issuing broad “class orders” (orders to a group of people).
• Lets nurse practitioners handle many tasks in the Mandatory Blood Testing program, not just physicians.
• Sets up rules for a new “digital health identifier” (a unique ID to confirm a patient’s identity for online health services), with strict privacy, access, and breach-notice rules.

What it means for you#

• Hamilton residents

  • A new Board of Health is set for Hamilton. The city will appoint all board members and supply the staff. The board will still follow provincial public health rules and report to the city each year.
  • Day-to-day public health services (inspections, vaccinations, etc.) should continue, but decisions will come from a local board rather than the city acting directly as the board.

• Francophone patients and families

  • The province’s health service organization must provide services in French like a government agency. This should mean better access to information and help in French, especially for system-wide services.

• Patients using online health services

  • A new digital health identifier will help confirm who you are when you access your health records or services online.
  • You must give express consent (clear “yes”) for your personal health information to be used for this purpose, unless a future regulation says otherwise.
  • Privacy safeguards include approved practices reviewed by the Information and Privacy Commissioner, public summaries of safeguards, and notices to you if there’s a privacy breach.
  • If your digital ID is inactive for two years, it must be securely deleted. You can withdraw consent at any time (going forward).

• Health workers and staffing agencies

  • Temporary health staffing agencies that send workers (like nurses or PSWs) to hospitals or long-term care homes must report aggregate billing and pay-rate data to the Minister at least every six months and keep certain records for three years.
  • Fines can apply for breaking the rules (up to $10,000 for an individual and $25,000 for a corporation). The government may publish some of the reported information.

• Hospitals and long‑term care homes

  • You may see more transparency about agency rates. Contracts and invoices tied to prescribed data must be kept for three years.
  • Some digital identity steps will rely on your systems and links with the “prescribed organization” that runs the digital health identifiers.

• People exposed to another person’s blood (first responders, victims)

  • Nurse practitioners can now do many tasks in the Mandatory Blood Testing process, which could speed up access to tests and results.

• Public health measures

  • Before a local medical officer issues a “class order” to a group (for example, during an outbreak), they must notify and get written approval from Ontario’s Chief Medical Officer of Health. This adds provincial oversight and may change the speed or timing of local orders.

• When changes take effect

  • Most parts take effect on Royal Assent. The staffing agency reporting rules and many digital health identifier rules will start on a future date set by the government. Nurse practitioner changes start on the later of July 1, 2025, or Royal Assent.

Expenses#

No publicly available information.

Proponents' View#

• A local Hamilton Board of Health improves accountability, gives clearer roles, and keeps services stable under provincial standards.
• Applying French-language rules to the health service organization improves access and equity for Francophone communities.
• Reporting by staffing agencies increases transparency on high agency costs and helps the province manage spending and reduce over-reliance on temp staff.
• Requiring provincial approval for class orders ensures consistent, evidence-based public health actions across Ontario.
• Allowing nurse practitioners to participate in blood testing orders makes the process faster and more accessible, especially in underserved areas.
• Digital health identifiers make it easier and safer for people to access their health records online, with strong, reviewed privacy protections and breach notifications.

Opponents' View#

• Central approval for local class orders could slow urgent public health responses and reduce local flexibility.
• Publishing agency rate information and adding reporting rules may shrink the supply of agency staff or increase administrative burdens that could raise costs.
• The digital health identifier system concentrates sensitive data and gives the Minister broad regulation-making powers, which some see as privacy risks if consent rules are relaxed later.
• Excluding some records from freedom-of-information laws at the prescribed organization could reduce transparency.
• Deleting inactive digital IDs after two years could inconvenience people who return to the system after a gap.
• Having the city supply staff while a separate board governs Hamilton public health may blur accountability or create workplace tensions.