Health workforce

Learn about the actions being taken to address health workforce needs.

Health workers

Health workers provide treatment, services and advice. Health workers can include:

dentists and dental hygienists
dietitians
massage, occupational, and physical therapists
nurses
orderlies
optometrists
paramedics
personal support workers
midwives
pharmacists
physicians
psychologists, and more

They are important to ensuring our health and well-being.

Many health workers see us at our most vulnerable. They provide not only care, but compassion.

Canada's health workforce is currently facing challenges in the supply of health workers, low retention and workplace conditions that put additional pressure on workers. High patient workloads, fewer workers and fear for personal safety have led to unprecedented levels of burnout, absences and turnover.

The federal government provides financial support to the provinces and territories for health care services. However, the responsibility for managing health workforces falls within provincial and territorial jurisdictions.

What we're doing to support Canada's health workforce

Current challenges within the health workforce require collaborative solutions.

Health Canada, along with other federal departments, is taking an active role in this matter. Together, we're working with provincial and territorial governments and key health stakeholders to identify immediate and long-term solutions to address health workforce needs.

Through Budget 2023, the Government of Canada's outlined its plan to invest close to $200 billion over 10 years to improve health care for Canadians, which includes a focus on efforts to support a robust health workforce, including support for health professionals.

The Government of Canada has already taken steps to address key concerns voiced by health care providers.

Actions taken to date

2023

At the October 2023 Health Ministers' Meeting, a federal, provincial and territorial statement on supporting Canada's health workforce was approved, committing to take concrete actions to address challenges facing Canada's health workforce including collaborating on retention issues, undertaking a study of the education and training supply and demand for key health professions, reducing the time it takes for internationally educated health professionals to join our health workforce, increasing the sharing and standardization of health workforce data, and more.
As part of the first-ever launch of category based selection for Canada's flagship economic immigration management system, Express Entry, Health Canada worked with Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) on category-based selection to allow Canada to issue invitations to apply to prospective permanent residents with specific work experience in health care. The Minister of Health and Minister of IRCC also wrote a letter to health regulators, advising of this new initiative.
Announced an investment of $78.5 million in three projects that will help to train and retain more health care workers, under the Sectoral Workforce Solutions Program through Employment Social Development Canada (ESDC).
Hosted the Nursing Retention Forum led by Canada's Chief Nursing Officer, with key members of the nursing community, to co-develop a toolkit with evidence-informed practical strategies, such as mental health and wellness supports, that employers and health authorities can implement to support nursing retention within their organizations. For more information, read the executive summary of the nursing retention toolkit.
Announced $2.4 million to the Canadian Association of Schools of Nursing (CASN) to support the implementation and evaluation of a National Nurse Residency Program which aims to support newly graduated registered nurses (RNs) by helping them effectively manage the transition from classroom to workplace through competency-based workshops and mentorship.

2022

convened a stakeholder symposium in spring 2022 to better understand the challenges facing the health workforce
- the summary report identifies potential areas for action and possible solutions to health workforce challenges, which Health Canada is engaging with stakeholders to refine and align actions.
announced on August 23, 2022, that it had appointed Dr. Leigh Chapman as the federal Chief Nursing Officer for Canada, who will:
- look at nursing issues from a federal focus
- provide strategic advice from a nursing perspective to Health Canada on priority policy and program areas and work closely with provinces and territories, stakeholders and regulatory bodies
established a Coalition for Action for Health Workers which will inform immediate and longer-term solutions to address significant health workforce challenges, so Canadians can access the quality care they need and deserve

Through Budget 2022, the Government of Canada announced $26.2 million in funding to increase the forgivable amount of student loans for doctors and nurses who practise in rural and remote communities. The list of eligible professionals under the loan forgiveness program was also expanded to help bring more health workers to communities that need them most.

Through the budget the federal government is also able to:

provide another $140 million over two years to the Wellness Together Canada (WTC) portal, which offers free, confidential mental health and substance supports to all Canadians, including tools for frontline health workers
- Canadians and health workers can also access these online services through PocketWell, the WTC companion app
provide $115 million over five years, with $30 million ongoing, to expand the Foreign Credential Recognition Program, which will:
- help up to 11,000 internationally trained health care professionals per year get their credentials recognized and find work in their field
- support projects (such as standardized national exams, easier access to information, faster timelines and less red tape) that will reduce barriers to foreign credential recognition for health care professionals
help reduce barriers to internal trade and labour mobility, such as in the health sector, by working with provincial and territorial governments and regulators to evaluate and, where appropriate, remove obstacles

The federal government also provided a $2 billion top-up to the Canada Health Transfer, to the provinces and territories, to reduce backlogs caused by COVID-19. This will help support the health and well-being of Canadians and those on the frontlines of our health care system.

This investment supplements the $4 billion invested in 2021 to help provinces and territories address immediate health care system pressures. This money is distributed equally per capita through the Canada Health Transfer.

2021

amended the Criminal Code (under the former Bill C-3) to ensure health workers are safe and free from threats, violence and harassment
provided $100 million over three years, through Budget 2021, to support the mental health of Canadians who have been most affected by COVID-19 and an additional $50 million to help those experiencing Post Traumatic Stress Disorder due to the pandemic, including frontline and essential service providers.
announced additional funding through Budget 2021 for Employment and Social Development Canada's Sectoral Workforce Solutions Program
- program helps key sectors of the economy, including health, implement solutions to address workforce needs, such as labour shortages

Canada and the provinces and territories also collaborate on health workforce issues through the Federal/Provincial/Territorial Committee on Health Workforce.

Publications

Characteristics and Labour Market Outcomes of Internationally Educated Health Care Professionals in Canada (2023)

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Date modified:: 2023-10-12

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