Ontario Hospitals Cut 215 RN Positions, Raising Safety Concerns

TORONTO, Sept. 3, 2026 /CNW/ -- The Ontario Nurses' Association (ONA) is raising serious safety concerns about more than 215 registered nurse (RN) positions cut across Ontario hospitals in the past two months alone. This is part of an escalating trend of hospitals cutting RN positions, often replacing them with other health-care professionals amid provincial underfunding. This can put patients at risk, as different roles do not have the same education, training and skill to respond to unstable patients.

"When a patient takes a sudden turn, you need a registered nurse there. RNs are specifically trained to have the clinical skills to see warning signs before a health crisis gets worse, and to rescue patients when their lives are on the line," says ONA Provincial President Erin Ariss, RN. "Cutting or replacing RNs is not a harmless staffing shuffle. It removes the professionals who have the expertise to save lives when seconds matter."

Across the province, RN positions are being cut in areas where patients can deteriorate rapidly and require advanced clinical judgment to prevent harm or loss of life. In some hospitals, operating-room RNs, dialysis RNs and post-partum unit RNs are being replaced by other professionals, according to employer notifications sent to ONA.

"Life-and-death decisions about care should not be made to cut costs or be decided by politicians and hospital CEOs who have no medical training at all, and who want to privatize health care," says Ariss. "No wonder the Ford government won't release their three-year hospital cost-cutting plans. Expert, front-line care is the last place we should ever cut."

ONA is tracking cuts across health-care facilities. Among the facilities where cuts have been announced in the past two months include: North York General Hospital, Halton Healthcare, London Health Sciences Centre, West Park Healthcare Centre, Bluewater Health, Peterborough Regional Health Centre, Royal Ottawa Mental Health Centre, Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre, Royal Victoria Health Centre, Quinte Hospital, Queensway Carleton Hospital, Lakeridge Health, Mount Sinai Hospital, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, and Niagara Health System.

"Ontario cannot afford to move backwards on health care," says Ariss. "Cutting and replacing RN positions means fewer people who can save lives in critical situations. Patients are people – sisters, sons, parents, loved ones. We call on Ontarians to stand with us and demand the government establish an immediate moratorium on position cuts."

ONA is the union representing 68,000 nurses and health-care professionals, as well as 18,000 nursing student affiliates, providing care in hospitals, long-term care facilities, public health, the community, clinics and industry.

SOURCE Ontario Nurses' Association

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