Fair Workplaces, Better Jobs = A Healthier Ontario

RNAO appreciates the opportunity to provide feedback to the Standing Committee on Finance and Economic Affairs on Bill 148, An Act to amend the Employment Standards Act, 2000 and the Labor Relations Act, 1995 and to make related amendments to other Acts or the Fair Workplaces, Better Jobs Act, 2017. As nurses, we see firsthand the devastating consequences of job insecurity and its negative impact on people's health and wellbeing.

RNAO appreciates the opportunity to provide feedback to the Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care (MOHLTC), Population and Public Health Division, on the Standards for Public Health Programs and Services Consultation Document. This submission has been informed by our expert members working in public health through the Community Health Nurses' Initiatives Group (CHNIG), public health nurses working specifically to advance health equity through action on the social determinants of health, and ongoing research to support population health and health equity by RNAO staff.

The Registered Nurses’ Association of Ontario (RNAO) is the professional association representing registered nurses (RN), nurse practitioners (NP), and nursing students in all roles and sectors across Ontario. Since 1925, RNAO has advocated for healthy public policy, promoted excellence in nursing practice, increased nurses' contributions to shaping the health system, and influenced decisions that affect nurses and the public they serve. RNAO appreciates the opportunity to provide feedback to the Standing Committee on Finance and Economic Affairs on Bill 84, an Act to amend various Acts with respect to medical assistance in dying (MAID).

At a pre-budget consultation in Brampton on Jan. 19, the Registered Nurses' Association of Ontario (RNAO) presented 29 recommendations to the Standing Committee on Finance and Economic Affairs.

RNAO estimates the recommendations could save the province millions while investing in the health of Ontarians.

One of our recommendations calls for better wound care practices. Investment in wound prevention and treatment today would save the government millions of dollars and stop hundreds of unnecessary amputations every year for people with diabetes and prevent needless suffering. Pressure relief (offloading) devices -- that cost anywhere between $100 and $1,500 per person -- are not funded by the government. The average cost of an amputation is about $74,000.

Other recommendations include better health promotion, affordable housing, raising the minimum wage, removing practice barriers so NPs can prescribe controlled substances and allowing RNs to write prescriptions to improve timely access to care.