Part of over $1.1 billion investment to support operational improvements and ensure Ontarians can continue to access high-quality hospital care in their community
| NEWS | August 28, 2026 |
PETERBOROUGH — The Ontario government is investing $8,193,000 to support improved operations and reduced wait times at Peterborough Regional Health Centre (PRHC). This funding is part of a $1.1 billion investment into Ontario’s hospital sector as part of Budget 2026, A Plan to Protect Ontario, representing a 4 per cent increase in annual support for the fourth consecutive year.
“This investment is a major win for families in Peterborough—Kawartha,” said Dave Smith, MPP for Peterborough—Kawartha. “By strengthening core clinical services at PRHC, we are ensuring our local hospital has the reliable funding needed to shorten wait times, expand diagnostic imaging, and deliver high-quality care closer to home.”
This investment will support the operations of PRHC’s core clinical services to better meet growing patient needs. Funding will help maintain 24/7 emergency department operations, cushion inflationary and wage pressures, and shorten wait times for surgical and diagnostic procedures—including MRI, CT, cardiac, stroke, neuroservices, orthopedics, and cataract surgeries.
“Over the last several years, Peterborough Regional Health Centre has been strategically investing into the care we provide and how we provide it,” said Dr. Lynn Mikula, President & CEO at PRHC. “Provincial investments like this one are critical to furthering ongoing work in priority areas at PRHC, including the continued growth and expansion of our leading-edge data and analytics program and establishing a command centre to support real-time decision-making and improve access to care across the hospital.
“I’d like to thank MPP Smith, Ontario Health, and the Ministry of Health for this funding, which serves as a recognition of all the hard work and achievements the team at PRHC has seen over the last year, helping patients to access the right care, closer to home, when they need it most,” added Dr. Mikula. “We remain deeply committed to achieving the ambitious goals we have set out for ourselves, and to ensuring we continue to provide the best possible care and service to the 600,000 people we serve across this region.”
“Our government is making historic investments to protect Ontario’s health-care system, ensuring that more people in the Peterborough region can connect to the care they need, where and when they need it,” said Sylvia Jones, Deputy Premier and Minister of Health. “This investment will allow PRHC to continue delivering the highest standard of care while reducing wait lists and wait times for patients and families for generations to come.”
Over the next 10 years, Ontario is investing approximately $64 billion in major health infrastructure as part of its plan to build more than 50 major hospital projects across the province, adding approximately 3,000 new hospital beds. Through Your Health: A Plan for Connected and Convenient Care, the province continues to expand access to key services close to home.
Quick Facts
- Local Impact: The $8.19 million operational boost directly targets high-demand service areas at PRHC, including emergency services, surgical suites, and diagnostic imaging.
- Infrastructure Support: The Ontario government is also investing $257 million in 2025–26 to support critical infrastructure upgrades and repairs across 126 hospitals and 66 community health-care facilities statewide—a 12.3 per cent increase over the previous year.
Additional Resources
- 2026 Ontario Budget: A Plan to Protect Ontario
- Your Health: A Plan for Connected and Convenient Care
Media Contacts
Dave Smith Action Centre
705-742-3777