New poll paints worrying picture for Kingston’s hospital staffing crisis

Story by Christena Lawrie, CFRC's Broadcast Journalist, for the Local Journalism Initiative.

Late last week CUPE’s Ontario Council of Hospital Unions (OCHU/CUPE) presented the worrying findings of a new poll amongst 750 hospital workers in Kingston and across Ontario, revealing the mental tax of the work environment on employees and suggesting the staffing crisis in hospitals will worsen without correction by the Ford government.

The survey of Kingston hospital workers was part of a province-wide poll by Nanos Research of staff represented by OCHU/CUPE, asking about employment conditions, impacts of work on mental health, and thoughts on the provincial government’s plans for health care.

In the results, it was revealed 43 per cent of staff say they “dread going to work,” and 90 per cent express a lack of confidence in the government’s plan to improve public health care.

Kingston’s numbers were slightly higher than the average across the province, with 44 per cent of healthcare workers in Kingston stating they are considering or somewhat considering leaving their job within the next year.

"Healthcare workers are losing hope in our system," says Dave Verch, Vice President of OCHU/CUPE, "And I really think that's what's driving the potential exodus from our healthcare system."

These poll results support recent research by OCHU/CUPE warning of a staffing crisis in the hospital sector, which is contributing to delayed treatment, ER closures, and overall poorer quality of patient care.