‘It’s going to bankrupt health care’: Spending on temp agency nurses up more than 550% since pre-pandemic at one Toronto hospital network
The nurses’ union at North York General Hospital (NYGH) are calling on the hospital to stop spending on “loyal” temporary agency workers and instead give nurses more control over the care they give to patients.
The nurses’ union at North York General Hospital (NYGH) are calling on the hospital to stop spending on “loyal” temporary agency workers and instead give nurses more control over the care they give to patients.
“I’ve seen a steady increase in [the agency] employees. We are having to hire more temporary agency nurses,” said Maryanne Ondruska, spokesperson for the Toronto District Hospital Nursing Association (TDHNA), on a conference call with reporters. “In addition to that, they can become permanent employees if they are not selected as a permanent employee.”
Ondruska’s comments come after a Star investigation into the staffing issues at North York General Hospital, which was contracted to provide hospital-level nursing care to the area but not provide patient care.
At least, that’s what it appeared on the hospital’s website. Last spring, the hospital told nurses that they were no longer needed to provide patient care at the hospital, and replaced them with temporary agency nurses with varying qualifications.
When nurses protested this practice and the staffing shortage, a contract arbitrator ruled that the hospital was required to let the temporary agency nurses do their job.
The arbitrator gave the hospital 30 days to let the agency staff perform their duties in a way that is safe and effective, or face a possible judicial review.
On the same day the arbitrator gave the hospital the legal option to let the temporary agency nurses do their work, TDHNA members protested outside the hospital. They called on the hospital to stop offering temp agency nurses to patients.
But the hospital was making plans to hire more agency nurses anyway, something the union says it does not dispute.
On Monday, The Star obtained a memo from the president of the hospital’s management and administration committee, Ramesh Nayak, to the executive team, outlining the hospital’s plans to hire agency workers in the future
