June 20, 2008

Hon. David Caplan, M.P.P.,

Minister of Health and Long-term Care,

900 Bay Street, 6th Floor,

Toronto, Ontario

M7A 1L2

Dear Mr. Caplan:

In November 1997, the Health Services Restructuring Commission (HSRC) directed Centenary Health Centre and Ajax and Pickering General Hospital to amalgamate and further mandated the new corporation (Rouge Valley Health System) to "preserve and strengthen the range of diagnostic and inpatient acute care, mental health, rehabilitation and complex continuing care on the Ajax site to ensure access to services by residents of Ajax, Pickering and Whitby".

In the Amalgamation Plan signed May 31, 1998 both corporations agreed that Ajax and Pickering General Hospital would maintain all its existing services: emergency, intensive care, diagnostic imaging, internal medicine, anesthesia, obstetrics, pediatrics, general surgery, orthopedics, plastics, otolaryngology, gynecology, urology, mental health and furthermore, these services would not only be maintained but would be enhanced and new services such as rehabilitation and complex continuing care be added to service a growing and aging population.

Over the last decade municipal governments in the Region of Durham have provided financial support to the Rouge Valley Health System on the understanding that the Ajax/Pickering Hospital would continue as a full service hospital. Also numerous service clubs and other organizations have raised money in support of the expansion of the Ajax/Pickering Hospital and services provided therein such as the Mental Health Unit on the understanding that Ajax/Pickering Hospital would continue as a full service facility.

Recently Rouge Valley Health System has changed it strategic plan without consulting its key stakeholders such as the residents who use the hospital, the doctors, nurses and other professional staff that work within the System and the local governments and organizations that fund the hospital. This has led to the removal of the entire inpatient Mental Health Unit from the Ajax/Pickering site.

By this action Rouge Valley Health System has breached both the HSRC directives and the Amalgamation Agreement and furthermore, violated the accessibility principle of the Canada Health Act.

As a tax paying citizen of West Durham, I request that you declare the Amalgamation Agreement signed May 31, 1998 to be null and void so that the Ajax/Pickering Hospital can continue to provide a full range of essential medical services for the residents of Ajax, Pickering and Whitby.