State of Ontario's health-care system not unprecedented, health minister says
Ontario's health minister said Monday that six hospitals had to close departments -- including ERs -- over the weekend, but argued that the situation wasn't unprecedented.
Sylvia Jones made the comments as the legislature sat for the first time following the Progressive Conservatives' re-election in June, and said individual hospitals work with Ontario Health to try to reassign staff and avoid such closures when they loom, but it happens "occasionally."
She disagreed with a reporter characterizing the closures as "unprecedented."
"No, I'm sorry, it is not," Jones said. "So when there are ebbs and flows of a high incidence of people who are taking vacation -- appropriately so -- then we need to make sure that we have the systems in place."
- Download our app to get local alerts to your device
- Get the latest local updates right to your inbox
Jones said the situation Ontario is facing is not unique. Jurisdictions across the country have reported similar staffing challenges and closures.
In Ontario, two Ottawa-area hospitals and one in Grey County were among those that closed their emergency departments for periods of time over the weekend.
The hospitals redirected patients to nearby emergency departments during the temporary closures.
"My message to the people of Ontario is, you have a government who is actively engaged and making sure that you have a local hospital that is available, that is sufficiently staffed," Jones said.
Solicitor General Sylvia Jones, responds to a question during a press conference regarding COVID-19 vaccine distribution, at Queen's Park in Toronto on Friday, December 11, 2020. THE CANADIAN PRESS/ Tijana Martin
The president and CEO of the Ontario Hospital Association said the organization understands that many Ontario hospitals are experiencing "an unprecedented escalation of staffing pressures right now" and are working to develop temporary measures to help maintain services.
Anthony Dale said in a written statement that the OHA is working closely with the provincial government and Ontario Health to implement both short- and long-term solutions to address the "urgent" health-worker staffing challenges in the province and to ensure that hospitals and other health provider organizations "have as much support as possible during this historic time."
"Hospitals are here to serve and will continue to do everything possible to meet the needs of the people of Ontario," Dale added.
"At this critical time, it is essential that everyone stand together and work to have a 'Team Ontario' approach to address the very challenging issues facing the health-care system."
Hospitals have said severe staff shortages, along with COVID-19 infections and burnout among health-care workers are to blame for the temporary closures.
Cathryn Hoy, president of the Ontario Nurses' Association, said Jones' comments that suggested nurse vacations are responsible are "disrespectful."
"That is such an insult to my members, I can't believe it," she said in an interview Monday.
Nurses have taken vacations during the summer in previous years and it has not led to ER closures, Hoy added.
The ONA and other nursing groups have urged the government to repeal legislation that capped wage increases for public sector workers -- including nurses -- for three years, saying it would help with recruitment and retention.
Last week, an executive with Ontario Health, which oversees the province's health system, said Ontario hospitals were experiencing staff shortages at an "unprecedented" level.
With files from Liam Casey.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Aug. 8, 2022.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
B.C. seeks ban on public drug use, dialing back decriminalization
The B.C. NDP has asked the federal government to recriminalize public drug use, marking a major shift in the province's approach to addressing the deadly overdose crisis.
Orca calf that was trapped in B.C. lagoon for weeks swims free
An orca whale calf that has been stranded in a B.C. lagoon for weeks after her pregnant mother died swam out on her own early Friday morning.
Trump's lawyers try to discredit testimony of prosecution's first witness in hush money trial
Donald Trump's defence team attacked the credibility Friday of the prosecution's first witness in his hush money case, seeking to discredit testimony detailing a scheme between Trump and a tabloid to bury negative stories to protect the Republican's 2016 presidential campaign.
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau on navigating post-political life, co-parenting and freedom
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau says there is 'still so much love' between her and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, as they navigate their post-separation relationship co-parenting their three children.
More than 115 cases of eye damage reported in Ontario after solar eclipse
More than 115 people who viewed the solar eclipse in Ontario earlier this month experienced eye damage after the event, according to eye doctors in the province.
'I was scared': Ontario man's car repossessed after missing two repair loan payments
An Ontario man who took out a loan to pay for auto repairs said his car was repossessed after he missed two payments.
Last letters of pioneering climber who died on Everest reveal dark side of mountaineering
George Mallory is renowned for being one of the first British mountaineers to attempt to scale the dizzying heights of Mount Everest during the 1920s. Nearly a century later, newly digitized letters shed light on Mallory’s hopes and fears about ascending Everest.
Air traveller complaints to Canadian Transportation Agency hit new high
The Canadian Transportation Agency has hit a record high of more than 71,000 complaints in a backlog. The quasi-judicial regulator and tribunal tasked with settling disputes between customers and the airlines says the backlog is growing because the number of incoming complaints keeps increasing.
U.S. flight attendant indicted in attempt to record teen girl in airplane bathroom
An American Airlines flight attendant was indicted Thursday after authorities said he tried to secretly record video of a 14-year-old girl using an airplane bathroom last September.