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Opposition parties at Queen’s Park have been highly critical of what they describe as an unnecessary and potentially wasteful centralization of key health-care agencies.

None of the disappearing positions are involved in direct frontline care to patients, but rather are providing duplicate administrative services such as communications, planning and data analytics, the source said.

This move will allow for the reallocation of $250 million to other health-care priorities, the source said.

“Everyone should support that, especially when our system is growing … We need as much money to the frontlines as possible,” the source said Tuesday. “When we have this large network of agencies: It’s confusing, it’s duplicative and at times, they’re even working at cross purposes to each other.”

The new Ontario Health agency will be comprised of the 14 LHINS which coordinate home and community care, Cancer Care Ontario, Health Quality Ontario, eHealth Ontario, Trillium Gift of Life Network, Health Shared Services Ontario and HealthForceOntario Marketing and Recruitment.

Enabling legislation was passed recently at Queen’s Park.

The Health Ministry asked the impacted agencies to avoid filling vacancies and to accept early retirement in administrative positions to ensure the smallest number of layoffs, the source said.

Individuals whose positions are deemed redundant will be eligible for severance and supports, the source said.

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“We do recognize that it is impacting people’s lives and so we certainly don’t take that lightly,” added the source.

The Doug Ford government’s promise to protect public sector jobs applies to frontline services, the source said.

The statement from the government says that Cancer Care Ontario has already put an additional $1.6 million into PET scan services in Sudbury, funds it diverted from its administration budget.

aartuso@postmedia.com