The provincial government wants to make it easier for healthcare workers across Canada to practice medicine in Ontario.
Premier Doug Ford was at Windsor Regional Hospital on Thursday to announce his government will introduce legislation in February that would see the credentials of healthcare workers registered in other provinces and territories automatically recognized in Ontario.
Under the proposed 'As of Right' legislation, out-of-province healthcare professionals wouldn't need to register with a regulatory college in Ontario.
Ontario says the changes would mark the first step toward a pan-Canadian portable registration model.
Premier Doug Ford says Ontario is the first province in Canada to implement these rules, designed to address a shortage of healthcare professionals.
"A doctor from British Columbia or a nurse from Quebec, who wants to come and work in Ontario, shouldn't face barriers or bureaucratic delays to start providing care," he says. "These healthcare workers are highly trained. Other provinces and territories have the same high standards that we have here."
Ford says these changes, once implemented, will automatically recognize the credentials of healthcare workers registered in other province and territories so they can begin working right away.
"They're going to bring much needed reinforcements to the front lines of our healthcare system. So to nurses, doctors and healthcare workers across Canada, if you've been thinking of making Ontario your new home, now's the time to make that move," he adds.
The government also says the upcoming legislation will allow health professionals including nurses, paramedics and respiratory therapists to temporarily work outside of their regular responsibilities as long as they have the skills and knowledge necessary.
The province says it will provide hospitals with more flexibility to fill in-demand roles, such as during viral surges.