The Ontario government says it’s investing $155 million over two years to reduce wait times for diagnostic and surgical procedures by adding 57 new community surgical and diagnostic centres across the province.
The new centres will provide publicly funded MRI and CT scans, as well as gastrointestinal (GI) endoscopy services. The province estimates this expansion will connect 1.2 million people with faster access to care, including 828,000 for imaging and 420,000 for endoscopy procedures.
The announcement was made at the Schroeder Ambulatory Centre in Richmond Hill, which will receive $14 million to serve over 115,000 patients with imaging and endoscopy care. Other centres will be announced in the coming weeks.
The province says these facilities will operate within the public health-care system, under Accreditation Canada’s quality assurance program, and will not charge patients for insured services. They will also be required to share data, support regional central intake systems, and follow staffing plans that protect hospital resources.
Health Minister Sylvia Jones says the move supports Ontario’s “Your Health” plan, which aims to improve access and reduce surgical backlogs.
Ontario currently has over 900 community surgical and diagnostic centres, most offering diagnostic imaging. This expansion builds on recent steps including new MRI machines, additional cataract centres, and shorter surgical wait times, which, according to the province, were the lowest in Canada in 2024.
Officials say the goal is simple – faster, publicly funded care, closer to home.
(Written by: Joseph Goden)
