The Wage Gap in Ontario Healthcare: Why It Hurts Us All
Brian Sankarsingh writes about primary healthcare in Ontario
Did you know that Ontario’s healthcare system is under strain? Healthcare workers are burning out. One major issue contributing to this crisis is the significant wage gap between healthcare workers. For example, healthcare workers in primary healthcare – including doctors, nurse practitioners, dietitians and so on - often earn significantly less than their counterparts elsewhere in the system. This disparity doesn’t just affect workers—it directly impacts the quality of care you and your loved ones receive.
There are three levels of healthcare in Ontario:
Primary care provides routine services like check-ups, vaccinations, and preventative care. Family doctors, pediatricians, and nurse practitioners along with other allied health providers such as dietitians, chiropodists and social workers provide this type of care. By developing a relationship with your primary care physician, you ensure continuity of care and better overall health outcomes.
Secondary care is the next level of healthcare in Canada, and it involves providing specialist care. This can include obstetrics, general surgery, orthopedic surgery, psychiatry, and cardiology, among others. Hospitals are responsible for providing secondary care which involves diagnostic testing like X-rays and MRI scans and other medical procedures. Your primary care physician usually refers you to secondary care.
Tertiary care the highest level of medical care in Canada. This is where the most complex or rare medical conditions are treated.
Primary care in Ontario is, almost always, the first point of contact for patients with the health care system. It's the foundation of the province's health care system and provides a range of services, such as:
Illness prevention including immunizations and screenings such as diabetes and pap tests or Papanicolaou test are examples of preventive care
Health promotion which includes nutrition counseling and disease prevention are examples of health promotion
Diagnosis and treatment where primary care providers treat common medical conditions and perform physical exams
Counseling and mental health care including psychosocial services and mental health care and
Referrals connecting patients to specialists where the primary care providers can connect patients to specialists and other resources when needed.
Primary care providers in Ontario can be family doctors or nurse practitioners. Other professionals who may provide primary care include nurses, dietitians, physiotherapists, and social workers. Many primary care services can be provided in person or virtually through email, telephone, messaging, and other technologies. Ontario’s Community Health Centres, Indigenous Primary Care Organizations and Nurse Practitioner-Led Clinics are some examples of primary care organizations.
For quite some time, there has been a wage disparity between healthcare providers in Ontario. This disparity does not just occur between providers working in primary, secondary or tertiary levels of healthcare. Unfortunately, for primary care providers it can also occur for providers between different organizations providing primary care. Here’s how the wage gap undermines Ontario healthcare and why it matters to you.
Low Wages Cause Retention Issues
Healthcare depends on teams, not just doctors. Nurse practitioners, nurses, and other allied health workers provide critical support. Yet across the healthcare sector wages do not have parity. This is especially true for primary care health workers. This is one of the reasons why there is a human resource crisis in primary healthcare organizations such as community health centres in Ontario. When wages don’t match the workload, people leave. And when experienced workers leave, healthcare quality suffers. The ever-rising cost of living only worsens this already unpleasant situation.
Burnout Among Overworked Staff
Understaffing caused by low retention then creates a vicious cycle. The fewer workers there are, the more responsibilities fall on those who remain. Taking on unsafe patient loads to cover staffing shortages or having to work longer hours can lead to mistakes, exhaustion, and burnout. Burned-out workers are more likely to quit, further deepening the crisis. When you visit your primary care provider you want them to be focused and supported, not overworked and underpaid.
Unequal Pay Undermines Morale
When workers doing equally essential jobs across the healthcare sector receive vastly different pay, resentment grows. Imagine working in the same industry as someone who earns two or three times more than you while contributing the same as you do. Poor morale can cause teamwork to break down, reducing efficiency and care quality.
Healthcare workers need to feel valued to do their best work. Fair pay is a key part of that.
Recruitment Challenges in Key Areas
Unfortunately, the current healthcare staffing shortages aren’t limited to hospitals. Primary healthcare and health services in rural and remote areas also face staffing crises. This makes recruitment nearly impossible and unsustainable funding leads to low recruitment and retention of healthcare providers in these sectors. Without competitive wages, these critical healthcare roles will remain understaffed, leaving patients without the primary care services they need.
Impact on Patient Care
The wage gap doesn’t just affect workers. It affects you as a patient. You may have to deal with longer wait times because staffing shortages mean fewer workers are available to see patients, leading to delays. There may be a reduced quality of care because overworked staff are more likely to make mistakes or provide less attentive care. Unfortunately, in some areas there simply aren’t enough healthcare workers to meet demand, leaving patients without access to vital services. While fair and equitable pay cannot solve this problem on its own, it at least ensures that healthcare workers are available when and where you need them.
Financial Stress Hurts Worker Performance
Low wages affect people’s personal well-being. If a person is struggling to pay bills or support their families, chances are they are more likely to experience stress and mental health challenges. Financial stress can distract workers from their jobs, increasing the risk of errors. Healthcare workers dedicate their lives to helping others. They shouldn’t have to worry about making ends meet.
Why It Matters to You and some Final Thoughts
Fixing the wage gap isn’t just about fairness. It’s about creating a universal healthcare system that works for everyone. When healthcare workers are paid fairly you receive better, faster, and safer care. This also means that workers stay in their roles longer, reducing turnover and maintaining continuity of care. This becomes a crucial step in making the system more sustainable and ensuring it’s there when you need it most. The wage gap in Ontario healthcare isn’t just a problem for workers. It’s a problem for patients, families, and the entire system. By addressing this issue, we can build a healthcare system that values its workers and provides the high-quality care you deserve. The choice is clear: fair wages lead to better care for everyone.
Bio: BRIAN SANKARSINGH is a Trinidadian-born Canadian immigrant who has published several books of poetry on a wide range of social and historical themes including racism, colonialism, and enslavement. Sankarsingh artfully blends prose and poetry into his storytelling creating an eclectic mix with both genres. This unique approach is sure to provide something for everyone.
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