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Union officials continue to ring the alarm bell on health care spending in Ontario

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By Greg Estabrooks · · 4 min read

Union officials continue to ring the alarm bell on health care spending in Ontario

Skip to ContentNewsLocal NewsProvincialCanadaWorldSpecial-SectionsSportsSports BettingLocal SportsBaseballBasketballFootballCurlingHockeyOther SportsAuto RacingEntertainmentLocal EntertainmentMoviesMusicTelevisionBooksGamingCelebritiesLifeTravelFoodHealthComicsPuzzlesAdviceOpinionEditorialColumnLettersAll NewspapersAdvertisingAdvertising With UsAdvertising SolutionsPostmedia Ad ManagerSponsorship RequestsClassifiedsObituariesLives ToldBusiness AdsJobsDrivingHealthingPuzzmoDiversionsPuzzlesComicsNewslettersProfileSettingsMy SubscriptionsNewslettersCustomer ServiceFAQNewsSportsEntertainmentLifeOpinionAll NewspapersBusiness AdsJobsDrivingHealthingPuzzmoNewslettersNewsLocal NewsUnion officials continue to ring the alarm bell on health care spending in OntarioTop hospital union officials latest trip to North Bay was to again call out the Ford government about health care spending. That includes their belief that the North Bay Regional Health Centre needs a large money and staff increasePublished Aug 12, 2026•Last updated 2 minutes ago•2 minute readDoug Allan, a CUPE senior researcher, points to a health care graph dealing with spending at Tuesday's news conference at the North Bay Public LibraryPhoto by GREG ESTABROOKSTop hospital union officials made yet another stop in North Bay to decry the state of health care in Ontario. Michael Hurley is the president of the Ontario Council of Hospital Union’s president, and he was joined at the press conference at the North Bay Public Library by Doug Allan, a senior researcher at the national branch of the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE). Recommended VideosAllan pointed to data that Ontario lags behind the rest of Canada when it comes to per-capita patient care. The union researcher claims that this province’s government has the resources to invest more and got down to specifics when it came to North Bay. “Ontario is a rich province, relatively speaking compared to the other provinces, we should, at least, be funding health care as the rest of Canada. For North Bay, that would mean an extra $51 million dollars (needed) per year for the North Bay Regional Health Centre and adding 527 staff. ”The Nugget reached out to the NBRHC for a reaction to the job figure. As of publication time no response has been received. Hurley says the government continues to not keep up with a health care system that is “overwhelmed. ”As message Hurley has brought beforeNorth Bay mediaon many occasions. “Hospitals need 6 per cent annual increases simply to maintain services,” says Hurley. “The Ford government has cut hospital budgets in real terms, year after year, resulting in a loss of beds and staff in the face of significant utilization pressures from an aging population. ”The union official also states that hospitalizations have increased significantly over the last decade, amounting to 2 million extra hospital inpatient days. The average length of stay per patient has also risen by 15 per cent. Citing the latest data, OCHU and CUPE have issued a study,Pushed over the brink: the escalating assault on Ontario’s hospitals. They claim this highlights the dire conditions that hospitals are facing in the wake of (Ontario premier Doug) Ford’s austerity agenda. A Ministry of Health (MOH) spokesperson tells the Nugget the government of Ontario is breaking records when it comes to spending. Here is part of the ministry response. “CUPE’s claims are entirely misguided. Ontario is proud to have one of the largest publicly funded health-care systems in the world, investing a record $101 billion this year alone, a 64% increase from 2018, to connect more people to the care they need when they need it. Our government has increased funding for the hospital sector by a record 4% this year, for the third year in a row, bringing our total investment in hospitals to over 50% since 2018. Since taking office, we’ve also increased funding for North Bay Regional Health Centre by over 35%,” says the Ministry of Health official. The Nugget asked Hurley with all the media exposure they have been getting, why there isn’t more of a public outcry if things are as bad as he says they are. “I do think there is public support, but I think it is often difficult for the public to find a way to express it,” says Hurley. Allan says sectors of the public is making some headway and has influenced the government’s thinking on this issue. “The unions have done a little bit, but the public (pressure) has helped in getting increases in spending,” says Allan. Join the ConversationThis website uses cookies to personalize your content (including ads), and allows us to analyze our traffic. Read more aboutcookies here. By continuing to use our site, you agree to ourTerms of UseandPrivacy Policy.

Source: nugget.ca

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