I had the incredible opportunity to host a nursing roundtable with Ontario Liberal Party leader, Bonnie Crombie, in Nepean. The voices of nurses are more important than ever especially in the provincial government. I appreciate Bonnie coming to Nepean to listen to our stories and what we are advocating for.
The theme of the roundtable was that nurses want respect from their employers and the government. Nurses want safe work environments with proper resources in order to provide quality care to our patients. The burnout among nurses and other healthcare workers is at its worst - and it is about time Ontario's government listens.
If elected MPP for Nepean, I will advocate for greater investments to strengthen our public health care system that focuses on retaining our current healthcare experts while recruiting more to the system. We must ensure that every person in Nepean has access to primary health care, including family doctors, health prevention, and the necessary resources to thrive. This includes major changes and investments in the community and "Ontario's Health at Home" system (formally known as the LHIN and CCAC). With greater investments and resources in the community, such as proper staffing of nurses, PSWs, respiratory therapists, etc., our ability to keep people at home safely will reduce the costly burden on hospitals.
While knocking on doors, far too many residents in Nepean are forced to take on the primary care of a loved one because there is no other option. I believe it is our responsibility to ensure that we take care of our seniors and most vulnerable.
