“It’s time to put patients over profits,” NDP MPPs call on Ford to reverse Sudbury LifeLabs closures.

SUDBURY – As LifeLabs medical laboratory located in Sudbury is set to close this spring, NDP Shadow Minister of Labour, MPP Jamie West (Sudbury) and Shadow Minister for Health MPP France Gélinas (Nickel Belt) are calling out Ford and his government to stop jeopardizing northern communities by putting profits over people’s health.

“In 2024, Quest Diagnostics, a U.S.-based for-profit company, acquired LifeLabs, and decided to quietly end medical laboratory testing in Sudbury,” said West. “The closure of Sudbury LifeLabs will lay off roughly 40 highly trained medical laboratory technologists, erasing years of expertise, weakening local workforce capacity and leaving Northern Ontarians without access to skilled laboratory professionals. This loss not only puts patient care at risk, but it also jeopardizes job protection and training opportunities for future technologists. Northern communities deserve lab services that retain essential skills, and keep healthcare running safely and efficiently, yet Ford and his conservatives continue to treat the North as an afterthought.”

“Laboratory services are vital to delivering safe, effective patient care, guiding over 70% of medical decisions,” said Gélinas. “Closing the Sudbury lab forces critical tests to be sent South for processing, delaying results and increasing the risk of inaccurate results. Northern Ontario is already experiencing road closures and transportation challenges, these delays are even more dangerous. Northern communities need local, high-quality testing to protect health outcomes, support emergency preparedness, and ensure timely care for all. The government must act now to sustain these services, properly fund our hospitals, and guarantee equitable healthcare access across Northeastern Ontario. It’s time for Ford to stop ignoring Northern lives.”