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By Wendy Lee, Local 575, inSolidarity
Access to primary health care in Ontario is reaching crisis levels.
The struggle to find a family doctor has become a harsh reality for many, as evidenced by desperate scenes like the one in Walkerton, Ontario, where 1,000 residents braved frigid temperatures in the hopes of securing one of 500 available patient spots with a new general practitioner. The other 500 were left out in the cold—literally and figuratively—just another symptom of Ontario’s faltering public health care system.
This is not just a rural problem.
The Scarborough Health Network (SHN), where I work, has established an off-shoot branch of the Emergency Department to try and offset the high use of emergency services. Recognizing that some emergency visits are from patients who have chronic diseases but no primary care physician, SHN is trying to cope with growing patient care needs with the limited resources the government provides by creating innovative capacity to provide additional care.
This growing crisis was the central focus of the Ontario Health Coalition (OHC) Assembly, held on January 25–26, 2025, at the YMCA in downtown Toronto. With over 150 in-person attendees and another 90 participating virtually, the assembly brought together healthcare professionals, researchers, political representatives, and concerned citizens to strategize on protecting and strengthening publicly funded healthcare in Ontario.
Doug Allan, a long-time board member of the OHC and a prominent healthcare researcher, painted a grim picture of the current state of Ontario’s hospitals. “All hospitals are in crisis, with deficits running close to $800 million already,” he stated. With 35,000 vacant hospital staff positions across the province and bed capacity shrinking, Ontario needs an additional 4,700 hospital beds just to stabilize the system. Yet, Premier Doug Ford’s government has not provided a steadfast commitment to stable and consistent funding.
Allan also highlighted the government’s continued push toward privatization, citing cataract surgery services where the wealthiest 20% of Ontarians benefited while the rest of the population received less care. You can read more from Allan in the The Jacobin.
Long-term care
Long-term care (LTC) in Ontario is in no better shape. Dr. Vivian Stamatopoulos, a leading academic in LTC research, called out the Ford government for passing Bill 218, which shields for-profit LTC companies from legal and financial accountability.
“Families now have to jump through hoops to get justice,” she explained. Despite the catastrophic loss of life in LTC homes during the COVID-19 pandemic, Ontario has not resumed regular inspections of facilities. Worse still, some of the worst-performing private operators have been awarded new government contracts, raising serious concerns about oversight and accountability ().
Infectious disease specialist Dr. Dick Zoutman reinforced the need for continued vigilance regarding COVID-19. “It’s the third leading cause of death in Canada in 2021, 2022, and 2023,” he noted. Despite this, the Ford government has largely abandoned preventative measures, with hospitals serving as the primary transmission point. “Long COVID affects 36% of people who contract COVID, which means one-third of health care workers are dealing with its effects,” Zoutman added, highlighting the long-term impact on Ontario’s already stretched health care workforce.
One of the most pressing concerns raised at the assembly was the role of Ontario Health Teams (OHTs). Ross Sutherland, a nurse and author of False Positives – Private Profit in Canada’s Medical Laboratories, argued that OHTs have failed to improve healthcare coordination. “There’s no real plan for organizing and running primary care in a way that benefits the public,” he said. With an early provincial election on the horizon, he emphasized the importance of using this moment to demand change.
Hornick: If we stand together, we win
JP Hornick, President of OPSEU/SEFPO, was also in attendance, offering an impassioned call to action. “This government is banking on us feeling isolated and powerless, but that’s not who we are,” Hornick said. “Public health care isn’t just an abstract policy issue—it’s about our families, our communities, and our dignity.” They stressed the importance of collective action, urging attendees to mobilize in their communities to push back against the creeping privatization of Ontario’s health system.
Natalie Mehra, Executive Director of the OHC, closed out the assembly by warning against the growing influence of American-style for-profit health care in Canada. “The United Health Group made $16 billion in profit last year while being accused of the highest insurance denial rates of the four largest companies in the U.S.,” she said. “This is the future Ford is leading us toward, and we cannot let it happen.”
As we head into a snap provincial election that will cost Ontarians $175 million dollars, it’s important to consider the clear message from the Ontario Health Coalition Assembly: Ontario’s public health care system is under threat, and action is needed now. With a snap election looming, the urgency to fight for a well-funded, accessible, and truly public health system has never been greater. The power to stop privatization and hold the government accountable lies in the hands of Ontario’s voters. As JP Hornick put it, “If we stand together, we win.”