Media Advisory - Ford PCs' 'crisis, what crisis' approach to health system collapse is a failure of leadership; "What will it take for them to act?" Ask five healthcare unions demanding action on the crisis

TORONTO, Nov. 23, 2022 /CNW/ - Premier Doug Ford's and his health minister's failing plan to stabilize the province's crashing healthcare system is prompting five of Ontario's largest healthcare unions to band together and issue an SOS appeal for the PCs to act immediately and not preside over complete system failure.

Leaders from CUPE/Ontario Council of Hospital Unions (OCHU), the Ontario Nurses' Association (ONA), OPSEU/SEFPO, SEIU Healthcare and Unifor along with front-line care staff will hold a media conference on Thursday, November 24 to present solutions for immediate action on staffing.

They do so as all sectors of Ontario's healthcare system are buckling under the weight of staff shortages, full children's ICUs and widespread patient overcrowding, and as COVID-19 and other respiratory illnesses are overloading the system. The severity of the situation, they say, means there is little time left for a robust staff retention and recruitment plan to be put in place. The government's own plan, say the unions, is a lethargic response to a serious crisis, and is failing patients and healthcare front-line staff alike.

The unions, which collectively represent 295,000 front-line healthcare staff, have urged the Ford PCs to meet with them to discuss solutions to shore up staffing. To date, there has been no response from government.

SOURCE Ontario Nurses' Association