JASON SETNYK
The Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) is warning that hospitals across Ontario, including in Cornwall, face devastating staff and bed cuts under the Ford government’s current health care funding plan.
At a media conference at the Cornwall Public Library, the Ontario Council of Hospital Unions (OCHU/CUPE) released a new report projecting more than 10,000 job losses and 2,400 fewer hospital beds province-wide by 2028 unless significant changes are made. Senior CUPE researcher Doug Allan and OCHU President Michael Hurley painted a grim picture of hallway health care, overworked staff, and increasingly unsafe conditions. The government recently directed hospitals to cap funding growth at just two per cent annually until 2028, far below the six per cent average seen in recent years and far short of what is needed to meet inflation, population growth, and demand from aging Ontarians.
“Ontario hospitals have the fewest staff per capita in Canada,” Allan said. “To meet the national average, we’d need 48,000 more full-time hospital staff.” He explained that the province has just 1,237 staff per 100,000 people, 23.5% less than the national average of 1,639. “That’s why we’re seeing burnout, ER backups, and patients treated in hallways.”
Hurley emphasized the human toll. “We’re hearing stories of palliative care nurses with eight dying patients, unable to give the dignity or comfort these families deserve,” he said. “They go home feeling guilt and shame, even when they’re doing the impossible.” The report, titled Driven to the Brink, outlines that Cornwall could see a loss of 17 hospital beds and 63 staff positions if the province-wide projections are applied locally. “That’s a massive cut for a small community,” Allan said, adding that rural areas like Cornwall often feel the impact more acutely due to fewer existing resources.
While Cornwall Community Hospital ended its last fiscal year with a balanced budget, Allan cautioned that this could change. “We were surprised to see a small surplus in the most recent audited statements,” he admitted. “But we suspect that without a funding top-up by March 31, Cornwall may join the growing list of hospitals running operational deficits.” According to the report, the province-wide, hospital working capital has dropped from $2 billion to negative $160 million over the past five years.
Ontario’s hospital bed capacity has already fallen behind, the report asserts. Between 2015 and 2025, the number of Ontarians aged 65 and over rose by 45%-yet the province added beds at a rate less than half of what’s needed. As of 2024, 2,000 patients were being treated in non-traditional spaces such as hallways every day.
Staffing shortages are also leading to dangerous conditions. “Violence against health care workers is rising,” Hurley said. “Patients and their families are frustrated and scared, and our members are paying the price. We’ve seen staff physically assaulted-one thrown through a wall-simply because there aren’t enough people on the floor.”
Financially, the report highlights that Ontario spends 9% less per capita on hospitals than other provinces, with $3.2 billion in underfunding compared to the national average. Much of the funding shortfall comes from lower staffing levels rather than lower wages. Although hospital administrators have largely stayed quiet, CUPE leaders criticized what they described as a “climate of fear,” where hospital CEOs are discouraged from speaking out about funding shortfalls. Hurley cited examples of government intervention and suggested that many administrators feel pressured to remain silent. The union criticized the province’s practice of revealing hospital funding late in the fiscal year, often after budgets have already been submitted. “It’s a terrible way to plan,” said Allan. “Hospitals don’t know what their actual funding will be until the final quarter. That makes it hard to hire permanent staff or invest in services. Instead, hospitals resort to overtime and private agency staff, which is far more expensive.” The union also released polling data showing overwhelming public concern: 94% of Ontarians support increased hospital funding to avoid cuts, and 81% believe hospitals are already understaffed. CUPE is calling for immediate emergency funding and a long-term commitment to annual increases of at least six percent to stabilize the system. “This isn’t a political game,” Hurley said. “It’s about whether people in Cornwall and across Ontario can access care when they need it most.”
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