Ontario’s health minister says a system-wide transformation will be needed for the province to address hospital overcrowding.

Christine Elliott has told a gathering of health-care executives that the new government must address the problem – but she says the health-care sector will have to find ways to operate more efficiently – because Ontario faces difficult financial times.

Premier Doug Ford promised during the spring election campaign to create 15-thousand long-term care beds within five years – and Elliot says the government will have to be innovative – because it knows it was elected with a mandate of fiscal responsibility.