The Canadian Press reports that Ontario hospitals and long-term care homes spent nearly one-billion-dollars last year to fill shifts with nurses and personal support workers from private staffing agencies.
The Ministry of Health staffing update obtained through a freedom-of-information request shows agency use increased in both hours worked and in total costs.
The CEO of a group representing long-term care homes says rising agency costs are wreaking havoc on their budgets.
The province says it is working to hire more nurses.