Defend Public Healthcare

Canadian Institute for Health Information (CIHI) hospital data indicates big changes in hospital activity, particularly in the most recent four years reported. Ontario, especially, is experimenting with hospital cuts and restructuring.   Hospital inpatient days are now dropping rapidly in Ontario – with a drop of 13.4% in inpatient days over the last four years. This has occurred even as inpatient days continue to increase in the rest of Canada (note: Quebec is excluded from the CIHI report as the data for that province is under review).  The data suggests a sharp fall in Ontario in 2013/14 compared to 2012/13 (8.9%), a less sharp decline over the previous 3 years, and significant growth over the previous five year period. Over the 15 years of data reported (1999/00 through 2013/14), Ontario inpatient days have increased 4.6%  -- even while population has increased at almost four times that rate (17.8 %) and the median age increased 4 full years (from 36.2 to 40.2 years). T

Ontario hospital workers are much less absent due to illness or disability than hospital workers Canada-wide.  In 2014, Ontario hospital workers were absent 10.2 days due to illness or disability,  2.9 days less than the Canada wide average – i.e . 22% less.   In fact, Ontario hospital workers have had consistently fewer sick days for years. This is also true if absences due to family or personal responsibilities are included. Statistics Canada data for the last fifteen years for Canada and Ontario are reported in the chart below, showing Ontario hospital workers are consistently off work less. Assuming, Ontario accounts for about 38% of the Canada-wide hospital workforce, these figures suggest that the days lost due to illness of injury in Canada excluding Ontario are about 13.6 days per year ([13.6 x 0.68] + [10.2 x 0.38] = 13.1). In other words, hospital workers in the rest of Canada are absent from work due to illness or disability 1/3 more than Ontario