Today, the Ministry of Health announced that two existing government health acts would be rescinded, improving the working conditions of health and social employees, which will in turn improve care for patients, families, seniors, and people living with disabilities.
The two acts that will be rescinded, Bill 29, the Health and Social Services Delivery Improvement Act, 2002, and Bill 94, the Health Sector Partnerships Agreement Act, 2003, ended up harming health sector workers’ job security by inadvertently incentivizing privatization, contracting out, and laying off of employees in the industry.
“We need to celebrate health-care workers and recognize the fundamental value of their contributions and make working conditions fair for everyone in the health sector,” said Adrian Dix, Minister of Health in a press release.
The improved conditions for health sector workers means that patients, especially seniors and people living with disabilities, will benefit from more consistent care from skilled health-care professionals.
“With an aging population, now is the time to inspire a new generation of health-sector workers and we need to attract more care aides, community health and hospital workers throughout the province,” said Dix.
Besides care aides, working conditions and employment security should improve for workers in food services and dietary workers, maintenance, laundry, security, information technology, and accounting staff.
“This legislation will help to enhance the team-based care environment people count on at every level, from hospitals to care homes and in the community,” said the Minister of Health.
The legislation to repeal bills 29 and 94 will go into effect in early 2019.
