It could soon be easier for out of province doctors and nurses to get jobs in Ontario.
The Ontario government plans to introduce legislative changes that, if passed, will allow Canadian health care workers already registered or licensed in another Canadian jurisdiction to practice in Ontario.
“With our new “As of Right” rules, Ontario is the first province in Canada to allow health care workers from across the country to immediately start providing care. That’s the kind of innovative solutions that will cut down unnecessary bureaucratic delays and help bring reinforcements to the frontlines of our health care system,” said Premier Doug Ford.
Windsor Regional Hospital CEO David Musyj said this will have a big impact on recruitment efforts.
"For both nurses and physicians this is exactly what we've been looking for. The ability to automatically recognize someone's license from another province is huge," said Musyj.
Incoming Ontario NDP Leader Marit Stiles says the Ford government needs to fix their relationship with healthcare staff if he wants to attract workers from other provinces.
"This is a government that at this very moment is taking healthcare workers to court to try to suppress their wages," said Stiles. "That doesn't sound like a great invitation to Ontario to me."
The legislation would also give hospitals more flexibility to increase staff or allow health care professionals to work in various areas in order to manage periods of high patient volume.
