The Canadian Union of Public Employees is calling on the provincial government to adequately fund hospitals, otherwise overcrowding and hallway healthcare will continue.
At a news conference on Thursday, the Ontario Council of Hospital Unions (COCHU) said the Chatham-Kent Health Alliance (CKHA) needs $32 million over three years and 332 additional staff to properly operate its two hospitals, adding CKHA has a $6 million overall deficit and negative $18 million in working capital, the ability for hospitals to pay their bills.
It also noted that CKHA has a 96 per cent bed occupancy, which results in staff burnout and reduced patient care.
CUPE researcher Doug Allan said more provincial funding is required just to maintain current hospital services and additional hospital capacity is desperately needed to address the aging population, longer hospital stays, and lengthy wait times for surgeries and other procedures.
"We have to have a government that recommits itself to building our hospital capacity. That means bringing our staffing levels up to the levels that we see in the rest of Canada. Right now, we're far, far short," said Allan.
Michael Hurley, president of CUPE’s Ontario Council of Hospital Unions, said hospital staff are feeling a high degree of distress and anxiety because they're fighting a losing battle every day and are ultimately leaving the profession.
"No matter how hard you work, you can't keep this system together on the strength of your sacrifice. Nothing you do over and above will make it work. There just aren't enough staff," Hurley noted.
Hurley noted the provincial government is currently increasing hospital funding by 3.3 per cent to reflect inflation, but 6.5 per cent is needed. COCHU said $5 billion is required over three years to address the crisis Ontario hospitals are currently facing.
Allan doesn't blame the hospitals for being in a deficit, adding that they are "incredibly efficient" working with what they have. He said hospital costs are increasing for drugs, outsourced services, and miscellaneous expenses, while the percentage of the overall budget spent on hospital worker salaries has dropped over the years.
COCHU also believes the healthcare system needs to get back to a more publicly funded system because privatizing hospital services is costly and leads to longer wait times.
The provincial government said it's investing over $1.1 billion in additional hospital funding for 2026–27, including an up to 4 per cent increase in base and targeted hospital funding to promote high-quality care, increased accountability, system efficiency and improved access to life-saving treatments.
"This continues Ontario’s historic investment in hospitals for a fourth consecutive year and demonstrates that the government is enhancing hospital services so that the people of Ontario can access the care they need, where and when they need it," the province stated in its 2026 budget.
