CUPE's hospital union is warning that Niagara will be short 1700 staff members and 220 hospital beds if the Ford government doesn't take action over the next four years.
The union released a report called 'The Hospital Crisis: No Capacity, No Plan, No End' which states the province must improve staffing levels and bed capacity by 22 per cent each to address patient needs.
"We are very concerned about the growing crisis in our public hospitals, which is deeply harmful for both workers and patients. Unfortunately, the government's plan is completely inadequate to meet the needs of a growing and aging population," says Michael Hurley, the president of OCHU/CUPE, which represents 40,000 hospital workers across the province. "At this rate, we are heading towards a much deeper crisis."
"Ontarians trying to access hospital care have suffered immensely in the past three years as evidenced by unprecedented ER closures, cancelled surgeries, and a peak in hallway healthcare. It's clear that this government has no real plan to provide people the quality of care they need," Hurley says.