Home / Health / Ontario Hospitals Brace for 9,000 Job Cuts
Ontario Hospitals Brace for 9,000 Job Cuts
15 Feb
Summary
- Over 9,000 healthcare positions may be cut by 2027-28.
- Nearly 2,400 hospital beds across Ontario could close.
- Union calls for $3.2 billion increase in core hospital funding.
Ontario's largest health-care union is raising serious concerns about potential job cuts and worsening wait times due to insufficient hospital funding. A new report estimates that more than 9,000 nursing and personal support worker positions could be eliminated by the 2027-28 fiscal year.
This projected reduction in staff is accompanied by a forecast of nearly 2,400 hospital bed closures province-wide. Union leaders argue that the current funding increase of two percent annually is inadequate to maintain existing services and will negatively impact healthcare quality.
The union is advocating for an immediate injection of 6,200 staffed beds to tackle urgent issues like surgical backlogs and overcrowded waiting rooms. Furthermore, they propose a $3.2 billion increase in core hospital funding to eliminate deficits and expand the healthcare workforce.
Concerns are also mounting that the government's approach may be paving the way for increased privatization of healthcare services. Critics fear that as public hospitals struggle to meet demand, the government might use this as justification to expand private clinics, potentially limiting access for those unable to afford it.
