Quebec spending on private health-care workers up by 335% in last 5 years amid labour shortage
The amount of money Quebec has spent on private health-care workers has quadrupled in the last five years as it continues to deal with a worker shortage made worse by the pandemic.
To help fill the gaps, the Ministry of Health and Social Services has been forced to hire workers from the private sector.
In 2017-2018, spending on private health-care workers was at just over $200 million, according to figures provided by the health ministry. Fast forward to the pandemic years, in 2020-21 there was a massive jump to more than $663,909,408 million dollars.
This year alone, spending has already reached more than $875 million.
BY THE NUMBERS
- 2017-2018: $201,022,961
- 2018-2019: $234,777,519
- 2019-2020: $349,205,763
- 2020-2021: $663,909,408
- 2021-2022: $875,129,373
The money pays for doctors, nurses, and other workers who are now in the private system.
Quebec's largest nurses union, the FIQ, said this is a total failure by the provincial government and comes at a huge cost to taxpayers.
Union president Julie Bouchard said Quebec should start making the public system more attractive to potential employees. To do that, there needs to be better working conditions.. and a reduction in workload.
For years, mandatory overtime has been a common side effect of the labour shortage.
Workers have long dealt with "fatigue" and "burnout," Bouchard said, so they often find work in the private sector, where working conditions are better and the pay is higher.
On Tuesday, Premier François Legault was asked about the province's tendency to turn to private health care to deliver services in Quebec. Speaking at an announcement about a new candidate in the fall election, the premier made it very clear that he wants Quebec to put an end to using private worker agencies to fill gaps in the health-care system.
"Our objective is to get rid of private agencies. I don't like private agencies, but in the meantime — because of the shortage — it's less worse to use those agencies," Legault said.
Legault admits because of the pandemic, some health-care workers left the public sector and it takes about three years to train new nurses, so he said the problem won't be solved tomorrow.
The numbers provided by the health ministry do not include the money spent on security guards for health facilities as the government outsources that job to private companies.
This year, Quebec has spent more than $300 million on security in its health facilities.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
'A beautiful soul': Funeral held for baby boy killed in wrong-way crash on Highway 401
A funeral was held on Wednesday for a three-month-old boy who died after being involved in a wrong-way crash on Highway 401 in Whitby last week.
'Sophisticated' cyberattacks detected on B.C. government networks, premier says
There has been a "sophisticated" cybersecurity breach detected on B.C. government networks, Premier David Eby confirmed Wednesday evening.
Police handcuff man trying to enter Drake's Toronto mansion
Toronto police say a man was taken into custody outside Drake's Bridle Path mansion Wednesday afternoon after he tried to gain access to the residence.
Biden says he will stop sending bombs and artillery shells to Israel if they launch major invasion of Rafah
U.S. President Joe Biden said for the first time Wednesday he would halt shipments of American weapons to Israel, which he acknowledged have been used to kill civilians in Gaza, if Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu orders a major invasion of the city of Rafah.
Canucks claw out 5-4 comeback win over Oilers in Game 1
Dakota Joshua had a goal and two assists and the Vancouver Canucks scored three third-period goals to claw out a 5-4 comeback victory over the Edmonton Oilers in Game 1 of their second-round playoff series Wednesday.
Nijjar murder suspect says he had Canadian study permit in immigration firm's video
One of the Indian nationals accused of murdering British Columbia Sikh activist Hardeep Singh Nijjar says in a social media video that he received a Canadian study permit with the help of an Indian immigration consultancy.
Pfizer agrees to settle more than 10K lawsuits over Zantac cancer risk: Bloomberg News
Pfizer has agreed to settle more than 10,000 lawsuits about cancer risks related to the now discontinued heartburn drug Zantac, Bloomberg News reported on Wednesday, citing people familiar with the deal.
Quebec premier defends new museum on Quebecois nation after Indigenous criticism
Quebec Premier Francois Legault is defending his comments about a new history museum after he was accused by a prominent First Nations group of trying to erase their history.
U.S. presidential candidate RFK Jr. had a brain worm, has recovered, campaign says
Independent U.S. presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. had a parasite in his brain more than a decade ago, but has fully recovered, his campaign said, after the New York Times reported about the ailment.