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:
Here’s what Canadians want as high-stakes health summit begins: ‘A significant shift’ - Interview with Dr. Michael Gardam, Chair, HealthCareCAN Board of Directors
February 7, 2023
Lasting health-care system change requires national human resource strategy, say health experts - Interview with Paul-Émile Cloutier, president and CEO of HealthCareCAN
February 6, 2023
Canada promised to fix health care almost 20 years ago. It’s looking to get things right once more - Interview with Dr. Michael Gardam, HealthCareCAN Board Chair
February 4, 2023
Towards better mobility of doctors and nurses between provinces - Radio-Canada interview with Paul-Émile Cloutier (French)
January 26, 2023
Dr. Michael Gardam, HealthCareCAN's Board Chair & CEO of Health PEI on CTV's Power Play to discuss solutions for Canada's healthcare crisis (play at 28:54)
December 14, 2022
HealthCareCAN calls for political leaders to step up in wake of health ministers’ meeting
November 9, 2022
HealthCareCAN President and CEO, Paul-Émile Cloutier, speaks of pressures on Canada’s health-care system in interview with Global News. Watch now.
September 18, 2022
A history of political inertia has contributed to today’s healthcare challenges. It’s time that changed.
July 28, 2022
Health-care advocates, premiers calling for urgent first ministers’ meeting to address challenges facing system’s sustainability - Hill Times Interview with Paul-Émile Cloutier, president and CEO, HealthCareCAN
July 18, 2022
Avec chaque nouvelle vague de COVID-19, le système de santé « s’effondre autour de nous » - Radio Canada interview with Paul-Émile Cloutier, president and CEO, HealthCareCAN (French)
July 16, 2022
"Our system wasn’t built to handle this constant and mounting pressure" - HealthCareCAN statement to CTV News
July 16, 2022
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
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