Debate over fines for NPs is the wrong discussion when more than two million Ontarians lack access to a primary care provider

It’s unfortunate that amid a primary care crisis, members of Ontario’s legislature are debating proposed legislation that would seek to penalize nurse practitioners (NP) for billing outside of provisions laid out in the Commitment to the Future of Medicare Act, 2004, say members of the Registered Nurses’ Association of Ontario (RNAO), which represents NPs.

The debate that RNAO want MPPs to have is how best to use the knowledge, skills and expertise of Ontario’s 5,300 NPs to address the primary care crisis. Publicly funded and fairly compensated NPs are a key solution to the primary care crisis. That should be the starting point of the discussion in the legislature, not fines for NPs.

“NPs have advanced clinical education and the legal authority to diagnose and treat illness and prescribe medications. They are an essential lifeline for persons who do not have access to care,” says RNAO President Lhamo Dolkar who practises as an NP. “Our politicians should focus on ways to compensate NPs fairly within our publicly funded system. Studies consistently point to the high-quality care we deliver as the key to addressing the crisis in our system.”

RNAO’s CEO Dr. Doris Grinspun says the government’s funding for 53 team-based primary care models including NPs announced last year was a welcome start. “Much more must be done to ensure the more than two million Ontarians who currently don’t have access to primary care get the access they need.” With that number expected to double within two years, Grinspun argues a comprehensive plan is needed and should include:

• expanding the number of NP-led clinics across Ontario
• funding additional team-based primary care clinics
• compensating all NPs fairly so they can practise independently, without user fees
• creating innovative publicly funded opportunities for NPs to serve the public without the need to resort to user fees 

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.

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