Ottawa projected to lose funding for 725 frontline health care staff and nearly 200 hospital beds by 2027-28: new report

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Postmedia has not reviewed the content. by Business Wire Article contentPlanned funding cuts by the provincial government will lengthen wait-times and worsen patient care in hospitals, warns CUPESign In or Create an AccountEmail AddressContinueor View more offersArticle contentOTTAWA — As hospitals cut hundreds of jobs and eliminate vacant positions amidst budgetary constraints imposed by the Conservative government, the largest health care union in Ontario is warning about longer wait-times, rushed care, preventable mistakes, and overcrowded hallways.Article contentWe apologize, but this video has failed to load.Try refreshing your browser, ortap here to see other videos from our team.Article contentCUPE released a new research report, “Driven to the brink: projected cuts to intensify Ontario’s hospital crisis,” which contrasts the additional resources required to simply maintain existing service levels with the government’s planned cuts by 2027-28, highlighting a 4,080 staffed bed capacity shortfall in the system (about 325 beds for Ottawa).Article contentArticle contentThe Ford government recently directed the hospitals to plan for a two per cent annual increase in funding over the next three years, well short of the six per cent average since 2020, precipitating cuts in multiple facilities hampered by budget deficits.Article contentTop StoriesGet the latest headlines, breaking news and columns.There was an error, please provide a valid email address.Sign UpBy signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc.Thanks for signing up!A welcome email is on its way. If you don't see it, please check your junk folder.The next issue of Top Stories will soon be in your inbox.We encountered an issue signing you up. Please try againInterested in more newsletters? Browse here.Article contentAt least 1,000 jobs are already being eliminated in hospitals and long-term care homes in North Bay, Hamilton, Ottawa, Niagara and the GTA.Article content“This is a shocking political decision to cut our hospitals when we need more staff, not fewer,” said Michael Hurley, president of CUPE’s Ontario Council of Hospital Unions (OCHU-CUPE). “Hospitals could improve access, reduce wait-times, and provide better care by attracting and retaining qualified staff. Instead, the government is choosing to starve our public hospitals with another round of reductions to staffing levels and bed capacity.”Article contentAnalysis by the Financial Accountability Office of OntarioArticle contentshows that the government’s plan would entail the loss of more than 9,000 nurses and personal support worker positions across the health care sector by 2027-28.Article contentIn Ottawa, about 725 nurses and PSWs could lose their jobs across the health care system, among other staffing cuts.Article contentLow staffing levels mean more waiting, says the CUPE report. According to the most recent data reported by the provincial government (March 2024) there were nearly 73,000 patients in Ontario who waited longer than clinically recommended for their surgeries, up from 36,360 in 2019.Article contentThe staffing and bed cuts would also intensify the problem of ‘hallway healthcare,’ which the government promised to eliminate in 2018. The number of patients receiving care in hospital hallways increased to 1,860 in 2024 from 826 in June 2018.Article contentBut now, CUPE notes, the government has decided to stop tracking this problem altogether.Article contentThe FAO said that Ontario would lose nearly 2,400 staffed hospital beds by 2027-28 – a seven per cent decrease. Based on projected increase in patient volumes, the union estimates that Ontario would need an additional 1,600 beds (4.5 per cent increase).Article contentExtrapolating off the FAO data, CUPE estimates that Ottawa hospitals could lose about 200 staffed beds by 2027-28. In contrast, CUPE estimates the hospital network must add about 128 beds just to maintain existing service levels. The hospitals would require far more beds to eradicate backlogs and ‘hallway healthcare.’Article contentLatest Ontario Health data shows that ER patients at Ottawa hospitals wait between 16 to 23 hours for admission, well above the target time of eight hours.Article contentArticle contentThese problems are self-inflicted as Ontario funds and staffs its hospitals at the lowest rate across Canada, said Doug Allan, senior CUPE researcher and author of the report.Article content“In contrast with government policies, we need a significant increase in beds and staffing levels,” said Allan. “We need this to end the backlogs, delays, and to reduce ‘hallway healthcare’ as the Ford PCs promised in their 2018 election campaign. We also need it to keep up with increasing demand pressures that naturally arise with a growing and aging population.”Article contentThe union is recommending the following actions by the provincial government:Article contentIn the short term, add 6,200 staffed beds to: get patients off hallway stretchers, allow for aging and population growth and clear the backlog of people waiting for surgeries.Increase core hospital funding by $3.2 billion to clear deficits and hire additional staff.After the aforementioned core funding increase, increase annual funding to meet inflationary costs (6 per cent annual increase) with a multi-year funding commitment.Article content:gv/cope491Article contentArticle contentArticle contentArticle contentView source version on businesswire.com: Article content https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20260213122320/en/Article contentArticle contentContactsArticle contentFor more information, contact: Article contentArticle contentZee Noorsumar, CUPE CommunicationsArticle contentArticle contentznoorsumar@cupe.ca Article contentArticle content647-995-9859Article content#distroArticle contentTrending Subscriber only. 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