RNAO’s ongoing media profile: The November 2022 report

This month, RNAO was featured in media stories about its call to the federal government to increase health transfers, the need for the Ontario government to mandate masks and rollout bivalent and influenza vaccines amid the triple threat of viruses, and the Superior Court of Ontario’s decision that Bill 124 is unconstitutional.

Provincial and territorial health ministers met with their federal counterpart Nov. 7 and 8 looking for an increase in federal health transfers. The meeting ended with no agreement and worse, no plan to address the ongoing nursing crisis. RNAO issued a media release in response calling on Ottawa to increase federal health transfers to provinces and territories albeit, with an important caveat: accountability for spending. “It is paramount to assure Canadians that new funding will be earmarked to strengthen universal access for care and not a dollar for private-for-profit care,” RNAO President Dr. Claudette Holloway said in the release. On CTV News (Nov. 8), RNAO CEO Dr. Doris Grinspun said “this is a structural problem…the prime minister has a very unique opportunity…Put the funding and move to the 35 per cent in transfer payments with strings attached to bring more nurses to the frontlines.” Grinspun reiterated to QP Briefing (Nov. 11) that the federal health transfer come with strings, so its impact can be measured. This funding would help to retain and recruit nurses in Ontario. “If we don’t have competitive compensation and competitive benefits alongside less severe workloads, patients will suffer the consequences because nurses will continue to go somewhere else,” Grinspun told Press Progress (Nov. 22). In a letter to the editor published in the Toronto Star (Nov. 3), Grinspun stressed the need to take action to stop the nursing crisis: “We are at a critical tipping point. We can continue to turn a blind eye to the nursing crisis…or we can turn the tide with fast action on all fronts to stop the deepening crisis.” Sign RNAO’s Action Alert to call on the prime minister to increase the federal health transfers.

Throughout November, hospitals across the province began seeing more pediatric patients with respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) and influenza while continuing to deal with COVID-19. Many of these patients ended up in intensive care. On Nov. 14, Chief Medical Officer of Health Dr. Kieran Moore strongly urged Ontarians to resume masking to help protect children. In response, RNAO issued a media release (Nov. 14) calling on the government to immediately take action. Holloway told CP24 (Nov. 15) that RNAO “is very concerned that we don’t have a strategy to protect children. We need a strong mandate to mask indoors to protect those who are vulnerable, those who are four and under and those in schools.” During an interview on Hamilton’s 900 CHML (Nov. 16), Grinspun said “We have a crisis in our hands…The only way to protect is to wear a mask in all indoor public places and to rollout vaccines to vulnerable populations.” She also told Blackburn News on Nov. 15 that “we’ve unfortunately witnessed the tragic past consequences of taking too long to enact public health measures on our most vulnerable populations (seniors and residents in long-term care homes). Now the lives of children are at risk and the government must act urgently.” Sign and share RNAO’s Action Alert to urge the Ontario government to mandate masking and rollout the bivalent and flu vaccines.

On Nov. 29, the Superior Court of Ontario ruled that Bill 124, legislation that limits nurses’ wage increases to one per cent, infringed on the rights to freedom of association and collective bargaining protected under the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms. The Ontario government says it intends to appeal the decision. In a media release (Nov. 29), RNAO heralded this court decision while also urging the premier to respect the court’s decision and not appeal. On CTV News Channel (Nov. 29), Holloway said that the decision “is good news for Ontarians, for health workers and those in the public sector. It shows that collective bargaining rights cannot be trampled.”  On CP24 (Nov. 29), Grinspun said, "Please do not appeal, premier, to the court's decision. You know the situation in Ontario and with the shortage of workers everywhere, and in particular in the health-care field. And more so even in nursing. Please do not, do not appeal the bill.” Grinspun also told CityNews Ottawa (Nov. 30), “It’s time to move forward together and for the premier to make peace with the hurt of health-care workers.”

RNAO’s media outreach this month resulted in 93 media hits. As always, RNAO will continue to speak out alongside its members. For more media coverage, visit RNAO in the News.