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“That means we are going to have to be innovative,” she said.

Ontario’s hospitals have been struggling with overcrowding issues for several years with staff sometimes forced to treat patients in areas like hallways or storage closets.

Elliott called that “unacceptable.”

“That is no way to treat our loved ones,” she said. “We have a big challenge ahead of us.”

Her comments come days after Ontario accepted the report of a commission of inquiry looking at the previous government’s spending. That report has not yet been made public but Finance Minister Vic Fedeli has said its findings will help the government determine the extent of the province’s fiscal situation and the levels of deficit and debt.

Premier Doug Ford has promised to create 15,000 long-term care beds within five years, and 30,000 over the next 10 years to relieve pressure on hospitals. Elliott repeated that promise Thursday, saying that growing capacity is part of the solution.

“We know the wait list is too long for a bed in a Long Term Care home, and that creates added pressures for you,” she told her audience, adding that she wanted them to share their ideas on improving the health-care system. “In the coming months we are going to discuss those ideas, we are going to find the right solutions.”

The Ontario Hospital Assocaition said it was committed to working with the government and other partners to build a more effective health-care system.

“Building a sustainable and efficient health care system requires us to substantially rethink the status quo, develop new models and approaches to care and push for greater integration,” it said.