Ontario to fund hip and knee replacements at private clinics

TORONTO -- The next step in Ontario's plan to expand the number of private clinics offering publicly funded health care will roll out early next year, with four centres offering hip and knee replacements.

Health Minister Sylvia Jones announced today that Ontario is spending $125 million over two years to add up to 20,000 orthopedic surgeries.

Jones says the expansion should ensure that 90 per cent of patients get those procedures within clinically recommended timeframes, up from the current level of 80 per cent.

Ontario has previously expanded the private delivery of public health care services for cataract procedures, as well as MRI and CT scans, and says that has involved 40,000 eye surgeries in the past year and tens of thousands of MRI and CT operating hours.

Critics say the province should instead be putting that money into publicly funded hospitals, which have said they need $1 billion in additional funding.

The four clinics being funded for hip and knee surgeries are OV Surgical Centre in Toronto, Academic Orthopedic Surgical Associates of Ottawa, Windsor Orthopedic Surgical Centre and Schroeder Ambulatory Centre in Richmond Hill.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Dec. 8, 2025.

Allison Jones, The Canadian Press