RNAO outlines nursing, health system and housing priorities at Ontario budget meeting

TORONTO, Jan. 24, 2025 /CNW/ - The investments needed to tackle the province's primary care crisis, shore up the nursing workforce and address issues of housing affordability and accessibility were outlined today by the president of the Registered Nurses' Association of Ontario (RNAO) at a budget meeting in Toronto.

"This is a critical time for our province, and we are pleased to meet with Ministry of Finance Parliamentary Assistant Zee Hamid," says RNAO President and NP Lhamo Dolkar. She notes that "when it comes to accessing health care, in every sector and region of the province access to the expertise of registered nurses (RN) and nurse practitioners (NP) is paramount. And, to achieve the province's goal of attaching every Ontarian to a family physician or NP as their most responsible provider, action is urgently needed – there are more than 2.5 million people lacking regular access to a primary care provider which affects their health outcomes."

"RNAO calls on the province to fund eight additional NP-led clinics in the upcoming budget with a goal to double the number of clinics from 27 now to 54 by 2030. RNAO also calls on the province to set aside $15 million to develop a funding model so NPs can work in independent practice without user fees," says Dolkar. "This is critical given the directive earlier this month by federal Health Minister Mark Holland that NP services be considered 'medically necessary'. It will increase access to NP services and prevent extra billing – a practice that runs counter to the principles of universal primary care and that we've witnessed far too often, given the lack of government funding."

"Universal primary care means primary care for everyone, this is why we urge government to fulfill its commitment of funding at least one NP in every First Nations community and move speedily for NP positions in correctional facilities," says Dolkar.

RNAO CEO Dr. Doris Grinspun also notes, "Efforts to ensure high quality care for residents in long-term care homes can be met by funding 100 additional attending NPs during this budget year and targeting 2030 as the year that government will meet its commitment that all homes will have one NP for every 120 residents." Grinspun notes that the results will speak for themselves: "Improved resident experience, improved clinical outcomes, lower cost due to less complications, and increased staff retention as we have seen with the homes that already have attending NPs."

Shoring up the nursing workforce is essential, and RNAO has several recommendations to achieve this:

• Increase and harmonize compensation upwards across all sectors.
• Strengthen primary care and home care sector retention and recruitment strategies.
• Incorporate principles of equity, diversity and inclusion (EDI) in all nursing and interprofessional programs to tackle racism and all other forms of discrimination.
• Increase funding for RNAO so it can expand the Best Practice Spotlight Organization (BPSO) program and develop additional clinical and healthy work environment guidelines, as well as clinical pathways.

To meet future demands for nursing services, RNAO is calling on the government to: 

• Fund an additional 200 seats in student NP programs in this upcoming budget with a target of reaching 7,500 NP registrants by 2030.
• Fund an additional 1,000 RN seats in baccalaureate programs this year with the goal of reaching 10,000 registrants by 2030.

RNAO also calls for focused commitment to address the social determinants of health. "We insist that government must double the rates for persons that live on the meager income of the Ontario Disability Support Program (ODSP)," says Grinspun. "And we urge a substantial investment in affordable, accessible, multi-story and multi-unit housing."

The Registered Nurses' Association of Ontario (RNAO) is the professional association representing registered nurses, nurse practitioners and nursing students in Ontario. Since 1925, RNAO has advocated for healthy public policy, promoted excellence in nursing practice, increased nurses' contribution to shaping the health system, and influenced decisions that affect nurses and the public we serve. For more information about RNAO, visit RNAO.ca or follow us on X (formerly Twitter), Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn.

SOURCE Registered Nurses' Association of Ontario

For more information, please contact: Marion Zych, Director of Communications, Registered Nurses' Association of Ontario (RNAO), 1-800-268-7199 ext. 209, 416-408-5605, 647-406-5605 (cell), [email protected]; Victoria Alarcon, Communications Officer/Writer, Registered Nurses' Association of Ontario (RNAO), 1-800-268-7199 ext. 211, 416-408-5610, [email protected]