An Open Letter to Doug Ford from Ontario's Front-Line Nurses

Patients and nurses deserve to know the details of PC Party's proposal to find 'efficiencies'

TORONTO, May 31, 2018 /CNW/ - Ontario Nurses' Association (ONA) president Vicki McKenna, RN, has written an open letter to Doug Ford, calling on the Ontario Progressive Conservative Party leader to release a full costed platform on health care and to show how the PC Party would fund its health care commitments if elected to govern.

"Ontario nurses feel we can no longer stay silent about the Progressive Conservative (PC) Party's lack of a full health care platform and your proposal to find 'efficiencies' in government spending," McKenna wrote.

Patients and nurses deserve to know the details of the Ontario Progressive Conservative Party’s proposals to find ‘efficiencies’ in health care and to cut $6 billion in government spending. (CNW Group/Ontario Nurses Association)

"As advocates for our patients, nurses know that cutting four cents of every dollar spent by government will mean at least $6 billion in cuts."

"Because health care funding amounts to 42 percent of government spending and due to the absence of details about your plans, we have to assume this means your proposal to find 'efficiencies' will result in $2.5 billion cut from health care spending. Cutting $2.5 billion in health care spending is equal to cutting 25,000 Registered Nurses from the bedside."

"The extreme magnitude of $2.5 billion in cuts to health care spending will mean worsening wait times for surgery and treatment in hospitals, and even longer waiting lists for long-term care beds – not to mention the escalation of 'hallway medicine' on a scale that you wouldn't expect to find in even the poorest of nations."

ONA is keeping its members informed about health care and nurse staffing commitments made by the political parties throughout the election campaign. The full text of McKenna's letter is available on the website http://NursesVote.ONA.org

Vicki McKenna, RN, is a registered nurse from London Health Sciences Centre where she has cared for both adult and pediatric patients in the day surgery unit. A member of the Ontario Nurses' Association (ONA) for 30 years, she was elected president of Canada's largest nurses' union in November 2017 and has been serving in this role since January 1.

Photos of McKenna and Cathryn Hoy, RN, ONA's first vice-president, holding signs saying "Patients + Nurses Deserve to Know" will be distributed via The Canadian Press image wire later this morning.

ONA is the union representing more than 65,000 RNs and health-care professionals, as well as 18,000 nursing student affiliates, providing care in hospitals, long-term care facilities, public health, the community, clinics and industry.

SOURCE Ontario Nurses Association

Ontario Nurses' Association, Ken Marciniec, [email protected], Cell: [phone], [phone], ext. 2306; Melanie Levenson, [email protected], [phone], ext. 2369.

Related Links

http://www.ona.org