Budget 2026 addresses the need for investments in primary care and home care; but fails vulnerable Ontarians and ignores action on the climate crisis

TORONTO, March 27, 2026 /CNW/ - Investments in primary care and home care in the provincial budget released Thursday signal the government recognizes the foundational role these sectors and nurses play in the lives of Ontarians and the health system. The shift to community care is long overdue – people prefer to receive care in their communities, and those who do experience lower rates of hospitalization. The sober reality is that our hospitals are in peril without a robust community care sector anchored in primary care, says the Registered Nurses' Association of Ontario (RNAO).

Nurses are delighted with the funding boost to $3.4 billion for primary care, which will mean new and expanded primary care teams, an increase in the number of people attached to a primary care provider, and the creation of a new Primary Care Medical Record System. "These investments will make it easier for people to receive more coordinated and timely access to health services and address the growing incidence of chronic disease. Accelerating the attachment of Ontarians to a family doctor or a nurse practitioner (NP) and advancing a robust role for registered nurses (RN) with access to inter-professional teams, is critical to health promotion, disease prevention and early detection and management of chronic illnesses," says NP Lhamo Dolkar, RNAO's president.

"RNAO welcomes the government's additional investment of $124 million for clinical and educational funding to expand the number of nursing seats and calls for a further increase of seats across Ontario's nursing schools to alleviate the nursing shortage," says Dolkar. She adds RNAO urges all schools to integrate RN prescribing into their curriculum, noting that many Ontarians are already benefitting from the expertise of RNs who have this authority."

RNAO CEO Dr. Doris Grinspun says that "the welcome increases in educational seats must be accompanied by doubling down on nurse retention so existing nurses and new graduates build their careers in Ontario. This will only happen if the government and employers ensure competitive and equitable compensation across all sectors. RNAO will continue its advocacy on this issue until it becomes a reality," emphasizes Grinspun.   

Equally important is the federal government's requirement to move ahead with a policy ensuring medically necessary care provided by NPs is publicly funded – a longstanding ask from RNAO. "We urge the Ontario government to get its plan in place. Saskatchewan and Newfoundland already have plans for implementation. NPs are a ready-made solution, and people must have access to their care without needing to pay out of pocket," insists Grinspun. 

RNAO applauds the government's $1 billion in additional funding allocated to home care over three years. The importance of an adequately funded home care sector lies with the nurses who deliver care to tens of thousands of people recovering from surgery or wishing to age in their homes safely. "This is why we call on home care agencies to dedicate a substantive portion of the new funding to increase nurses' compensation." On average, nurses who work in home care make 70 per cent of what their counterparts in hospitals earn. "Alleviating the unsustainable pressure on hospitals requires strengthening community care, and this will only happen when pay inequities for nurses are meaningfully addressed," adds Grinspun.

To further strengthen community care, Premier Ford must sign an agreement with Ottawa to implement the National Pharmacare Plan. Bill C-64, titled the Pharmacare Act, and passed in October 2024 provides coverage for contraceptive and diabetes medications. "RNAO is disappointed Ontario continues to sit on the sidelines. Several jurisdictions, including British Columbia, Manitoba, Prince Edward Island and Yukon have signed agreements with Ottawa. Nurses call on the premier to follow their example as it will help millions of Ontarians who currently lack access to these drugs," says Grinspun.

"The vulnerable will suffer the ramifications of this budget," says Dolkar. "Nurses are appalled by the premier's decision to end funding for the few remaining supervised consumption services (SCS) sites. These sites are in priority neighbourhoods and outside of the 200-metre limit from a school or daycare as stipulated in recent legislation," says Dolkar, adding that "it is an ideological decision that leaves people to fend for themselves. Ontario has a toxic drug crisis and SCS sites are essential health services for people who need help with substance use, no different than people who have cancer and require chemotherapy." 

Dolkar says "the government's insistence that its Homeless and Addiction Recovery Treatment (HART) Hubs are the solution to the toxic drug crisis is flawed. While RNAO welcomes these hubs, they are not a replacement for existing SCS sites. They do not offer supervised drug consumption, safe supply, or needle exchange services, which are life-saving services. Without these essential services, more people will be left without immediate protection from overdose, leading to preventable deaths and increased pressure on already strained emergency services."

New evidence summarized by Gillian Kolla and Tara Gomes shows these concerns are real. Following Ontario's 2025 site closures, Emergency Medical Services response calls for opioid toxicities increased by 69.5 per cent, emergency department visits rose by 67 per cent and opioid-related deaths began rising again after a prior decline. Their analysis shows that these sites are critical to connecting people to health care, housing, and treatment – with more than 1.12 million visits and over 22,000 overdoses reversed in Ontario. This means the removal of SCS sites will eliminate lifesaving supports and place even greater strain on emergency services and hospitals.

The budget was short on specifics on how to ease Ontario's burgeoning population of people experiencing homelessness – now up eight per cent over last year. RNAO argues funding for affordable and supportive housing needs to reflect demand. One bright spot is the province's recent support to convert condominium units into rental apartments. Initiatives such as this will add 550 affordable rental units to the Greater Toronto Area's housing stock. Similar efforts should be scaled up across the province. Housing is an important social determinant of health. Another is a liveable income. "This budget failed to address increases in social assistance that would lift those who receive Ontario Works or the Ontario Disability Support Program out of poverty," says Dolkar.

RNAO remains deeply concerned about the government's dereliction of duty regarding the climate crisis. Much of Ontario is warming faster than the national average, which exceeds global average temperature increases. According to a report released by Ontario's Auditor General last fall, the province will miss its own 2030 greenhouse gas emission reduction targets. Equally worrisome is that Ontario has no plan to reduce emissions beyond 2030, despite a legal requirement to do so. "Nurses and other health professionals are witnessing first-hand the health consequences of climate disruption, including extreme heat, wildfire smoke, floods, food insecurity and displacement," says Grinspun, adding that "the economic costs through skyrocketing insurance costs are already affecting countless Canadians. Premier Ford has an obligation to act and work towards a plan that reduces our dependence on fossil fuels," Grinspun urges. 

The Registered Nurses' Association of Ontario (RNAO) is the professional association representing registered nurses, nurse practitioners and nursing students in Ontario. Since 1925, RNAO has advocated for healthy public policy, promoted excellence in nursing practice, increased nurses' contribution to shaping the health system, and influenced decisions that affect nurses and the public we serve. For more information about RNAO, visit RNAO.ca or follow us on X (formerly Twitter), Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn.

SOURCE Registered Nurses' Association of Ontario

For more information, please contact: Marion Zych, Director of Communications, Registered Nurses' Association of Ontario (RNAO), 1-800-268-7199 ext. 209, 416-408-5605, 647-406-5605 (cell), [email protected]