Ontario's Health Care is Broken: Report Says Hospital Spending on Private Staff Rose 98% From 2013-2023

Ontario used to brag about our world class health care system… Now, a damning new report found that Ontario has the lowest hospital spending per capita in the country, citing a parasitic cycle of lack of funding and over reliance on private hospital staffing agencies. Between 2013 and 2023, the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives found that Ontario’s hospital staff hiring increased by 6% , whereas hiring from private staffing agencies rose 98%. This report (linked below) is a warning bell that should be resounding across Ontario right now, with the needs of our aging population out-surging the capacity of our over-worked healthcare system. We don’t like to talk about taxes, but we also need to ask ourselves what we are willing to pay for quality of care. Plus, increased hospital spending on private staff in turn makes care costs higher for patients and taxpayers.

In Episode 141 of the Bill Kelly podcast, the host discusses the critical state of healthcare in Ontario, focusing on the financial implications of staffing shortages and the reliance on private agencies. The conversation highlights the need for increased investment in healthcare to ensure quality care for patients, while also addressing the challenges faced by nurses and the healthcare system as a whole. The episode concludes with a call to action for taxpayers to engage in discussions about healthcare funding and quality.

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CHAPTERS

00:00 The State of Healthcare in Ontario

07:09 Staffing Challenges and Financial Implications

12:55 The Need for Investment in Healthcare

15:22 The Future of Healthcare: A Call to Action

FURTHER READING

Hollowed out: Ontario public hospitals and the rise of private staffing agencies

https://www.policyalternatives.ca/news-research/hollowed-out/

New Study Reveals Ontario Spent $9.2 Billion on For-Profit Staffing Agencies Over 10 Years, Blames Crisis on Underinvestment in Hospitals and Preventative Health Care

https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20250512803683/en/New-Study-Reveals-Ontario-Spent-%249.2-Billion-on-For-Profit-Staffing-Agencies-Over-10-Years-Blames-Crisis-on-Underinvestment-in-Hospitals-and-Preventative-Health-Care

CCPA urges Ontario to ban use of private staffing agencies for health sector

https://www.hrreporter.com/focus-areas/leadership-succession-planning/ccpa-urges-ontario-to-ban-use-of-private-staffing-agencies-for-health-sector/392479

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