Canada’s health sector has struggled to manage through workforce shortages for years, a problem exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic. These shortages undermine the ability of the healthcare system to provide timely access to high-quality care for everyone in Canada.
The toll COVID-19 is taking on healthcare workers1A crowdsourcing initiative conducted by Statistics Canada in late 2020 showed that 70 percent of the 18,000 healthcare workers surveyed reported that their mental health worsened during the pandemic is substantial and will endure long after the pandemic is over.
HealthCareCAN‘s Health Human Resources Advisory Committee (HHRAC) is working to identify key priority areas for short-term and long-term federal action that aim to address these growing workforce shortages. Such concerted action is vital to ensure the country has the health workforce it needs to deal with COVID-19, perform non-COVID medical procedures and treatments, tackle medical procedure backlogs, and provide high-quality care to those who need it.
Healthcare workers are the system’s greatest resource, and when they are well taken care of, so are Canadians.
What actions can Canada take to address health workforce shortages in both the short-and long-term?
Why must Canada address health workforce shortages in both the short-and long-term?
HealthCareCAN actions to address health workforce shortages
Eight months into the global pandemic, 33% of healthcare workers reported fair to poor mental health.
70% of health care workers reported that their mental health was “somewhat worse now” or “much worse now” compared with before March 2020.
56% of health care workers reported that most days were “quite a bit stressful” or “extremely stressful.”
Source: Statistics Canada
Demand on the health system continues to rise as Canada’s population ages and people live longer, albeit often with more complex and chronic conditions. Yet health system investments and resources have not adjusted to respond to these changes. The health system is overloaded, understaffed, under-resourced, and underfunded, resulting in a system that is unable to meet the growing and diversifying needs of people in Canada.
Implementing a pan-Canadian health workforce planning strategy will:
Leveraging immigration and internationally trained healthcare workers while increasing the number of Canadian-trained healthcare professionals will:
Supporting interprovincial/territorial coordination of education and licensing will:
Collaborating with provincial and territorial governments, regulators, and educational institutions to train more Canadian healthcare workers – particularly from Indigenous communities – in the professions and fields necessary to meet the long-term needs of the healthcare system will:
Expanding mental health and wellness research, programs, and resources specific to healthcare workers will:
Research, human resources, infrastructure: Three hospital execs weigh in on where the feds should step in - Article in Hill Times Research
October 17, 2023
ERs across Canada likely to face rolling closures, long wait times, doctors, nurses warn - iPolitics interview with Paul-Émile Cloutier, president & CEO
June 22, 2023
Experts call on Health Minister Duclos to rise to challenge of health-care system transformation - Interview with Paul-Émile Cloutier, President & CEO
April 24, 2023
HealthCareCAN recommendations to strengthen clinical trials in Canada reflected in CIHR report
April 21, 2023
HealthCareCAN continues to connect with federal health, research and innovation decision-makers
April 4, 2023
Improving the health system for patients, providers, and researchers focus of HealthCareCAN meeting with Shadow Minister of Health Stephen Ellis
February 21, 2023
HealthCareCAN recommendations on health workforce endorsed in Commons committee report
February 17, 2023
Health workforce issues front and centre as HealthCareCAN meets with Immigration Minister Sean Fraser
February 17, 2023
Band-Aids or a New Healthcare System: In Conversation with Dr. Michael Gardam on the Necessary Conditions for Transforming Healthcare in Canada. Listen now!
February 16, 2023
Will More Money Fix Canada's Health Care System? HealthCareCAN Board Chair, Dr. Michael Gardam on TVO's The Agenda with Steve Paiken
February 10, 2023
Canada’s healthcare: Promoting transformation of the system
Health human resources / Infrastructure / Long-term care / Mental health / Patient safety / Research & innovation / Year 2023
HealthCareCAN submission to Finance Canada’s 2023 Pre-Budget Consultations
Health human resources / Infrastructure / Long-term care / Mental health / Pre-budget submissions / Research & innovation / Year 2023
Submission to the Standing Committee on Finance: Pre-Budget Consultations in Advance of the 2023 Federal Budget
Health human resources / Infrastructure / Long-term care / Mental health / Pre-budget submissions / Research & innovation / Year 2023
Newcomer Access to Professional Interpretation Services in Healthcare
Health human resources / Patient safety / Year 2022
Fostering inclusion of healthcare providers with disabilities
Health human resources / Mental health / Year 2022
Submission to the Standing Committee on Health: Study on the Emergency Situation Facing Canadians in Light of the COVID-19 Pandemic
Health human resources / Indigenous health / Infrastructure / Long-term care / Mental health / Research & innovation / Year 2022
Submission to the Standing Committee on Health: Study on Children’s Health
Health human resources / Infrastructure / Research & innovation / Year 2022
Submission to the Standing Committee on Human Resources, Skills and Social Development and the Status of Persons with Disabilities: Study on Labour Shortages, Working Conditions and the Care Economy
Health human resources / Year 2022
COVID’s Tragic Toll in Canada’s Long-Term Care Sector Must Lead to Action
Health human resources / Long-term care / Mental health / Year 2021
To become a HealthCareCAN member or learn more about our member benefits, contact us at membership@healthcarecan.ca