Significant Investments in Hospitals Needed to Build Surge Capacity and Meet the Future Health Service Needs of the People of Ontario

TORONTO, Feb. 22, 2022 /CNW/ - As the province moves to its next phase of cautious reopening and the Legislature resumes today for its final sitting before the general election, in its pre-budget submission, the Ontario Hospital Association (OHA) is calling on the Government of Ontario to make significant investments in hospital surge capacity.

Over the past two years, Ontario's hospitals have continued to step up and serve as the anchor of the pandemic response. Organizations, leaders and teams have demonstrated extraordinary dedication, innovation and resilience, even under the most punishing conditions.

However, hospitals and the health care system entered the pandemic in a state of under-capacity and misaligned resources and services – a longstanding challenge inherited by the current Government of Ontario. While beds have been added over the past two years on a time-limited basis to address pandemic needs and to mitigate hallway health care, system capacity is still a serious and growing problem.

"With the worst of the last wave behind us, now is the time to ensure the health care system is supported in a manner that meets the current and future health care needs of the people of Ontario," Dale said. "The Government of Ontario has been a strong funding partner with hospitals throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. Now is the time for a dialogue about what's needed to fundamentally strengthen our health care system into the future." 

To ensure hospitals continue to be resourced for the duration of the pandemic and better able to meet the health needs of the people of Ontario into the future, the OHA is recommending that the additional beds and related funding allocations made over the past two years be designated as permanent.

The OHA also recommends funding and government policy support to enable the hiring of at least an additional 10,000 registered nurses and 3,500 registered practical nurses as well as other critical health care workers over the next five years. In making pandemic-related capacity permanent, the Government of Ontario would be taking a significant step forward in achieving this objective.

Historically, on a per capita basis, Ontario hospitals have had very low numbers of beds compared to other provinces and countries. The total number of hospital beds has remained the same for 20 years even with approximately 2.8 million people being added to the population. 

When the pandemic arrived, hospitals were required to postpone many surgeries and other non-urgent services to create a buffer of excess capacity. Today, hospitals are still working through a very large backlog of surgeries and diagnostic tests, and funding to serve this growing volume of patients and address added patient complexity and acuity due to delayed treatment is needed. Investment to address the ongoing inflation and population growth pressures facing hospitals is also necessary.

Acute care occupancy rates are currently at 96 per cent with some hospitals approaching or exceeding 100 per cent, and emergency department volumes have returned to the normally high pre-pandemic levels. Hospitals are also facing growing capacity pressures due to challenges across the continuum of care. There are currently approximately 5,500 ALC patients (as of mid-February 2022), which includes approximately 3,900 patients in acute care. The hospital sector has never experienced ALC levels as high as they have been in recent months.  

"Ontario hospitals will continue to work to meet the needs of the people of Ontario no matter the circumstance, as they have done throughout the pandemic," Dale said. "However, strategic investments in surge capacity will support more timely access to care throughout flu season and future COVID waves while reducing the prevalence of hallway health care, reducing wait times, and meeting the growing health care needs of the people of Ontario."

For more information, view the OHA's 2022/23 Pre-Budget Submission. 

The Ontario Hospital Association (OHA) is the voice of the province's public hospitals. The OHA serves hospitals through advocacy, learning and engagement, labour relations and data and analytics to build a better health system. We do this by conducting evidence-based research, proposing ideas, convening members and partners, and encouraging responsible dialogue about change.

SOURCE Ontario Hospital Association

Hannah Ward, Media and Communications Advisor, Ontario Hospital Association, [email protected]