The Queensway-Carleton Hospital is cutting 87 registered nursing positions as part of a plan to trim one per cent of its workforce to address financial pressures at the hospital in Ottawa’s west end.
The hospital told CTV News Ottawa it is “making changes to staffing models, role mix, and some positions” as part of the next phase in its plan.
“This includes a reduction of approximately 160 positions, and the addition of 119 positions — the net change is about one per cent of our workforce. This includes 87 RN positions,” the Queensway-Carleton Hospital said.
“We are exploring every available option to minimize the impact on our people, including transfers, redeployments, and voluntary early retirements.”
The 119 additional positions include “25 RN positions and other new positions across the hospital,” according to officials.
The Queensway-Carleton Hospital says it has been facing rising costs for drugs, food, supplies, salaries and operating needs, “while funding has not kept pace.”
“Over the past year, we have carefully reviewed every aspect of spending, identified savings, expanded revenue, and looked for other ways to address the budget gap,” the hospital said.
“Together, these actions have helped reduce the gap and delay workforce impacts. Unfortunately, they have not fully resolved the challenge.”
The Queensway-Carleton Hospital says there will be no reduction in patient care hours, but some areas will “see changes to the mix of roles as part of the interprofessional model of care.”
According to the 2024-25 annual report, the Queensway-Carleton Hospital had 2,682 staff members.
Nepean MPP Tyler Watt said the workforce reductions at the Queensway-Carleton Hospital are “deeply concerning.”
“Let me be clear: the hospital is not to blame. QCH has spent the past year finding efficiencies, reducing costs, and looking for every possible way to protect frontline care,” Watt said.
“Hospital executives should never be put in the position of making decisions like these, but they are being forced to because of the chronic underfunding of Ontario’s hospitals by the Ford government.”
In April, the Ottawa Hospital announced it was cutting three per cent of its workforce to address financial pressures, which would equate to approximately 400 positions.
The Ottawa Hospital confirmed to CTV News Ottawa that while it has implemented a series of measures to reduce budget pressures and find savings, there will “be some reductions to job positions in the coming months.”
According to the Ottawa Hospital’s 2024-25 annual report, there are 13,281 employees at the hospital, including 5,200 nurses, 1,724 physicians and 1,186 resident physicians.
