Ontario tries to fix ER problems.

The Ontario government is committing over $142 million in new resources through a three-point Emergency Department Action Plan, Health and Long-Term Care Minister, George Smitherman, announced.

Smitherman said the government recognizes that hospital emergency departments do not operate in isolation from our health care system. The plan offers these actions:

* $13.2 million to retain and recruit emergency room physicians and launch pilot projects to add physician assistants and nurse practitioners to emergency rooms;

* $76.8 million to create a "Better Access to Emergency Care Fund", which will reduce emergency room waiting times and improve working conditions for frontline health care workers, enhance critical care capacity in hospitals, and provide $10 million for small and rural hospitals and $30 million to hospitals in areas of high population growth to improve their capacity;

* $52.4 million to support current community-based services and provide more services in the community.

The plan also includes the construction of 1,750 new beds and the replacement of 662 long-term care beds to relieve the pressures on hospitals and emergency rooms.