5 things experts say could ease pressure on Ontario's healthcare system

Temporary emergency room closures and increased wait times are becoming increasingly common in Ontario as the health system grapples with staffing shortages.

Doug His Prime Minister Ford has acknowledged that more can be done to ease pressure on the health care system, but his speech to the throne this week suggests a solution to the problem. I didn't get around to presenting it.

The Canadian Press asked the experts what they would suggest to ease Ontario's overstretched healthcare system. Here are his 5 solutions they suggested:

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1. Repeals Bill 124

Repealing the law known as Bill 124 would limit wage increases for public sector contracts to 1% per annum for three years. and is a top priority on the list of registered nurses. Ontario Association.

Association CEO Doris Grinspun wants nurses to be well paid for their work. He said the law needs to be abolished in order to do so. stay in the profession. She pointed to the rising cost of living in the push for higher wages. of healthcare workers warned that they could switch jobs to private institutions where they can earn more money.

“(Bill 124) makes nurses and other public sector health workers covered by this law feel less valuable and their pay increases are capped, making them harder to negotiate. Put them in a position to minimize their influence," he said.

"Money is not the only reason, but we have seen nurses move from jobs in unionized, publicly funded hospitals to jobs in private institutions." 32}

The Prime Minister pointed out that the provisions of Bill 124 had expired and would not apply to subsequent contract negotiations, but did not say he would repeal the law.

2. More Workers

Professionals need to enroll and train more people to work in health care to reduce the burden on those currently working in the health sector. says that there is

Last week, Ontario's health minister announced that a regulated college for nurses and doctors would be given an education internationally. I directed them to develop a plan to enroll the experts they received more quickly.

But he of RNAO said Mr Grinspun was waiting to see what these plans would entail and how quickly the process could be tracked, calling registration "waiting on the sidelines." There are about 26,000 nurses, he said. "The backlog needs to be dealt with immediately," she said.

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Abisliharan, Assistant Professor, Institute for Health Policy, University of Toronto, Management & Assessment, Canada Standardized We have a certification system. This will make the transition easier for doctors and nurses who want to work in Ontario without going through a lengthy and often costly licensing process, Sriharan said.

RNAO has also called on the government to increase funding for additional slots in colleges and university nursing programs. Grinspun said this will accommodate her 35% increase in applicants for the Registered Nurse Training program and her 70% increase in applicants for the Nurse Practitioner program.

READ MORE: Long ER wait times and high nurse vacancies are plaguing several hospitals in Toronto.

3. Build Standalone

Ontario plans to build independent, publicly funded medical centers that can perform less complex outpatient surgeries and procedures. It should, said Dr. Rose Zacharias, president of the Ontario Medical Association and an emergency department physician.

This frees up hospital beds and other resources, and Zacharias says patient wait times are reduced. , on the backlog of surgeries and procedures he said the state could keep up with.

Over the course of the pandemic, 22 million patient services were delayed, including 10 million of her surgeries and cancer screening procedures, she said. She said that contributed to the "burden" felt in the emergency department.

"We need these facilities and recommend building a series of them statewide to manage our backlog," she said. .

READ MORE: Ontario directs regulators to register internationally trained nurses more quickly

4. Improve staff working conditions

Health worker burnout and the conditions that contribute to it need to be addressed, experts say.

RNAO's Grinspan said nurses were facing a "brutal" workload and adding more staff was key to solving the problem. Mental health support, mentorship, and good leadership will help nurses stay in place as they battle the fatigue of the pandemic, which has lasted her nearly three years, she added.

"It's always helpful to have support, especially at this time of year," she said.

Sriharan, an expert in health system leadership at the University of Toronto, recommends mental health for burnout workers. The resource states, “Band-If the environment that caused the problem is also unchanged, we will help you find a solution.

5. Implement systems to track and prevent staff shortages

A national system is also needed to track staffing levels in healthcare facilities to ensure a balanced distribution of patients, it said, reducing labor force and preventing service disruptions.

Zacharias of the Ontario Medical Association said a tracking system is also needed to monitor staffing shortages within the medical team.

"I We operate on hunches and anecdotes, and need hard data."

— with files from The Canadian Press' Holly McKenzie-Sutter

© 2022 The Canadian Press