CUPE report warns ‘the worst is yet to come’ in healthcare

A new report says the province needs five times more hospital beds than are being planned by the government.  

CUPE’s Ontario Council of Hospital Unions (OCHU/CUPE) produced the research report which cites data on hospital funding, bed capacity, staffing levels, admission times, and other metrics.   

Officials say it shows declining levels of service and warns the “worst is yet to come.”   

“The data paints a dire picture. There is a massive gap between what Ontarians need and what this government plans to do,” says Michael Hurley, president of OCHU/CUPE. “People are already paying the consequences for the Ontario PC policy of scarcity and it’s only going to get worse: we’ll see longer wait-times, more patients on stretchers in hallways, and fewer staff to provide care.”   

CUPE says based on the government’s own plans, there is a looming capacity shortfall of 13,800 hospital beds and more than 80,000 staff by 2032. 

The report, which shows an additional 600 staff and 80 new beds are needed in North Bay over the next 10 years, says underfunding is behind the shortages.  

“In 2018, [Premier Doug] Ford said he would end hallway healthcare. In 2024, he’s joking about veterinary hospitals handling overflow,” says Hurley. “It begs the question: has this government given up on the hospital crisis.” 

According to the union, the province needs to increase annual hospital spending by $2 billion, just to maintain current levels of service.  

CUPE says that’s about $21 million for North Bay Regional Health Centre.   

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