Immediate solutions to hospital crisis lie in public system, not private: OPSEU/SEFPO Hospital Professionals

TORONTO, Nov. 2, 2022 /CNW/ - Hospital professionals represented by the Ontario Public Service Employees Union (OPSEU/SEFPO) are calling for the Ford government to take immediate action on the hospital staffing crisis by looking at solutions from within the public hospital system, rather than siphon resources to private clinics and for-profit corporations.

Ontario Public Service Employees Union (OPSEU/SEFPO) First Vice-President/Treasurer, Laurie Nancekivell and Chair of OPSEU/SEFPO Hospital Professionals Division, Sara Labelle were joined by NDP Health Critic and MPP for Nickel Belt, France Gélinas on Wednesday for a news conference at Queen's Park to raise concerns from the front lines of Ontario's hospitals.

"Hospital professionals have had enough, after two and a half years of this government calling us heroes while continuing to underfund the hospital system, contracting out our work to private clinics, and suppressing our wages with Bill 124," said OPSEU/SEFPO Hospital Professionals Division Chair, Sara Labelle. "Immediate change is possible. Our members have a wealth of knowledge and expertise about how to solve the backlogs and staffing issues in hospitals. We need the government to work collaboratively with us on this - not unilaterally."

Hospitals across the province have been operating beyond capacity, resulting in surgery backlogs, prolonged wait times for care, and emergency room closures. The high stress work environment coupled with the wage cuts of Bill 124 have caused hospital professionals, including many allied and diagnostic health professionals, to leave the field in droves ? opting to retire early or change professions. On top of this, chronic underfunding and a province-wide labour shortage has left them with no relief in sight.

Health Minister Sylvia Jones previously announced that more publicly-covered surgeries would be performed at private clinics and remarked that privatization is not off the table when it comes to addressing staffing shortages.

"We're not going to solve this crisis by signing contract after contract with private, for-profit corporations and creating a two-tier health care system," said OPSEU/SEFPO First Vice-President/Treasurer Laurie Nancekivell. "We can solve it by investing in public hospitals and giving hospital professionals a voice in the allocation of that funding. We can solve it by increasing hospital professional staffing ? not only doctors and nurses, but the full team of allied and diagnostic health professionals. And we can solve it by repealing Bill 124 so that hospital professionals are paid wages that reflect the value of the work they do."

OPSEU/SEFPO represents more than 25,000 members in over 250 hospital professions in Ontario's public hospitals. 

SOURCE Ontario Public Service Employees Union (OPSEU/SEFPO)