Ontario Nurses’ Association Supports Call for Increased Federal Health-Care Funding

March 5, 2021

TORONTO, March 5, 2021 – The Ontario Nurses’ Association (ONA), the union representing 68,000 registered nurses and health-care professionals, as well as more than 18,000 nursing student affiliates, has long called for increased federal funding for health care.

ONA President Vicki McKenna, RN, says the COVID-19 pandemic has exposed the gaps in care that have resulted from years of Ontario hospital budget cuts, RN cuts and bed closures due to insufficient funding. She notes that even during this pandemic, Ontario health-care facilities and at least one public health unit have cut RNs.

Health-care funding in Ontario has not kept up with inflation for a decade, and not only hospitals and public health units, but long-term care homes, community and home care have suffered as a result. It is simply not sustainable and requires the injection of funds so badly needed now and into the future.

McKenna says that Ontario’s long-term care sector needs to implement the provision of four hours of care per resident per day in long-term care as quickly as possible. Public health must always have the resources available to avoid scrambling during future infectious disease outbreaks. The home care system requires enhanced staffing and care levels to avoid the issues experienced with congregate living arrangements. Our hospitals will have an enormous backlog of patients and procedures post-pandemic that must be cleared.

ONA calls on the federal government to increase its share of health-care funding for the country, ensuring that Canadians can access to timely care when they need it.

ONA is the union representing more than 68,000 registered nurses and health-care professionals, as well as 18,000 nursing student affiliates, providing care in hospitals, long-term care facilities, public health, the community, clinics and industry.

For more information: 

Katherine Russo 647-539-1925
katheriner@ona.org


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