French Language Health Services

The Connecting Care Act, 2019 and the Local Health System Integration Act, 2006

The Ontario government has taken further steps to build an integrated, connected health care system centred around the needs of patients.

On April 1, 2021, health system planning, funding and community engagement functions from the Local Health Integration Networks (LHINs) transferred into Ontario Health.

As a Crown Agency, Ontario Health is subject to the French Language Services Act, and must respect the requirements of the Act including the right of Francophones to communicate in French and receive available services in French.

In addition, the preamble of the Connecting Care Act, 2019 includes a specific reference to the French Language Services Act, acknowledging that the public health system should: “recognize the diversity within all of Ontario’s communities and respect the requirements of the French Language Services Act in serving Ontario’s French-speaking community.” The Connecting Care Act, 2019 also requires Ontario Health to engage with the French Language Health Planning Entities (FLHPEs).

While non-patient care functions of the LHINs transferred to Ontario Health on April 1^st, patient care functions including home and community care, long-term care home placement and key supporting functions in the LHINs remain in place under a new name to reflect this focused service delivery mandate – Home and Community Care Support Services. There are no changes to how patients access home and community care or long-term care home placement services and there will be no changes to their regular contacts.

To reflect this transfer and the more focused mandate for the Home and Community Care Support Services organizations, on April 1, 2021, amendments to the Local Health System Integration Act, 2006 (LHSIA) will be in effect.

As government agencies, the Home and Community Care Support Services organizations remain bound by the French Language Services Act. If you are accessing information or services from a Home and Community Care Support Services organization, you continue to have the right to communicate in French and to receive services in French.