Canada’s healthcare workforce faces serious issues nationwide. An aging population, staff shortages, and long wait times are among the challenges. High levels of burnout, heavy patient loads, and inadequate resources contribute to stress among dedicated healthcare professionals.
The government has conducted several studies on the supply and demand for educated and trained health professionals. Reducing the time for internationally educated health professionals to enter the workforce is crucial. Increased sharing and standardization of health workforce data, along with collaboration on retention issues, are concrete steps that the federal government, provinces, and territories have committed to addressing health workforce challenges.
Building on these efforts, the Honourable Mark Holland, Minister of Health, announced that the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada (RCPSC) will receive $3.5 million over five years, a significant initiative. This funding will support the creation of a National Plan for Health Workforce Well-Being, essential as healthcare professionals often face their own challenges while caring for others. This initiative aims to improve workforce retention and will involve bringing together a wide range of partners to learn, develop, and implement strategies to enhance the well-being of Canada’s healthcare workforce. This plan is expected to pave the way for establishing a healthcare system where care is provided with joy, kindness, and intention.
Considerable progress has been made in increasing the influx of medical professionals into Canada. While challenges persist, the government continues to work on strategies to enable these experts to utilize their training, knowledge, understanding, and experience upon arrival. However, much work remains to be done in this area.