Increasing the number of beds in Ontario's health-care system won't on its own solve the problem of hospital overcrowding, says a report that will shape Premier Doug Ford's reforms.

The report, officially released Thursday, comes from the premier's Council on Improving Health Care and Ending Hallway Medicine, a handpicked panel of 11 senior administrators that is led by a close ally of Ford.

The council has a mandate to advise Ford and Christine Elliott, Ontario's minister of health, on reducing hospital wait times, ending so-called "hallway medicine" and making long-term structural changes to the system.

The report, published Thursday morning, also says too many patients are going to hospital emergency rooms for conditions that could be treated elsewhere.

While the report says the province "may not have the appropriate number of hospital or long-term care beds to meet the health needs of the population," it does not advocate for an increase in the number of beds.

"Simply adding more hospital or long-term care beds to the system will not solve the problem of hallway health care in Ontario," says the 32-page document.

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It says hospitals are not using existing beds as efficiently as possible, and describes "insufficient capacity" in home care and community-based mental health as a crucial factor.

"There are people across the province who are spending time in hospital beds because they can't access other options for health care," says the report.

"Going to the emergency department for health care that could be provided somewhere else happens frequently in Ontario, sometimes because it's the only health care setting that is open 24/7."

While the council lays out what it sees as the causes of hospital overcrowding, it is not yet making specific recommendations for change. Those are to come in its next report, due in the spring.

It's a safe bet the Ford government will take its advice. The council is led by Dr. Rueben Devlin, the longtime CEO of Humber River Hospital, a former president of the Ontario Progressive Conservative Party and a Ford confidant. He was appointed to the post the day the Ford government took power last June.

"He's bringing forward some very helpful insights," Elliott told a news conference on Wednesday.

The report says a lack of community-based mental-health services is partly to blame for the strain on hospitals

"The council is concerned that patients are unable to access mental health and addiction services when they are needed most," it reads.

"Long wait times for community treatment means sometimes patients' conditions worsen as they sit in the queue, giving them no other option but to seek care through the emergency department."

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