The Ontario Council of Hospital Unions says a new report shows hospital spending on for-profit agencies jumped by 216% in Northeastern Ontario over 10 years.
The union cites a research study by the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives.
Officials say the staffing crisis stemming from chronic underfunding of Ontario’s hospitals has fueled a dramatic growth in the use of for-profit staffing agencies, to the tune of $9.2 billion.
They say agency costs were up in rural and northern regions, where shortages are often most severe.
Recommendations include stabilizing hospital finances and increasing hospital capacity, develop a provincial health workforce strategy and capital plan, phase out and ban private staffing agencies over three years and create a public sector alternative and build a stronger primary care foundation with Community Health Centres.
Last week’s provincial budget included $280 million over two years to support the expansion of Integrated Community Health Service Centres.
The fiscal plan also includes more than $235 million in 2025–26 to establish and expand up to 80 additional primary care teams across the province.
The province says that will connect 300,000 more people to primary care this year.
Overall, the Ontario government announced its investing approximately $56 billion over the next 10 years in health infrastructure, including over $43 billion in capital grants.
