In 2021, this government introduced, for the first time, and passed an act to proclaim November 16 COPD Awareness Day.

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease is a serious and progressive disease that causes lung damage and blocks the airways. It is the fourth-leading cause of death in Canada, and it is a leading cause of illness.

The Ministry of Heath has taken significant action on COPD care and prevention, aligned with Health Quality Ontario’s advice, including increasing access to smoking cessation programs for patients in both hospital and primary care settings, including patients with COPD; increasing access to influenza and pneumococcal vaccines among COPD patients; and investing in early detection and treatment to slow the progression of this extremely serious lung disease.

One of our most promising investments has been in the Best Care in Primary Care program, recognized by clinicians and patients as a highly effective, made-in-Ontario, team-based, patient-centred care model. Best Care has successfully reduced emergency room visits by 63% and hospitalizations up to 60% among COPD patients. This program has improved mental health among chronic disease patients who are receiving whole-of-person care for the first time. As demonstrated in peer-reviewed studies, Best Care in Primary Care has saved our health system millions of dollars in cost, alleviated pressures on capacity and significantly improved the quality of care and life for Ontarians living with COPD.

On this World COPD Day, I want to recognize the work of health care professionals, from physicians to nurses to respiratory therapists, who support people living with COPD every day and encourage Ontarians to remember that your lungs are for life.

This is about health care, and there are often times when members of the opposite side won’t listen to us, so I’m going to read some letters that I have about the real crisis in health care. I’m going to ask my colleague to let me know when I start running out of time.

The first one is from an RN: “I am a registered nurse in the province of Ontario and I do have a deep appreciation of the current situation in our diverse sectors of health care. I am reaching out this afternoon, not as a nurse but as a very concerned patient currently in the system. Last summer I was diagnosed with bilateral pulmonary embolisms from which I almost died.

“During this hospital stay, I was made to wait 24 hours in the emergency department as no critical care beds were available.

“While I survived this ordeal, I am still not fully recovered and need further testing done and possibly surgery to remove the blood clots in both of my lungs.

“I had to wait at least a month to have a CT scan of my lungs.

“My biggest concern at this time is that I will need surgical intervention that cannot be done close to home. I will need to travel to southern Ontario for this procedure.

“With the current state of our health care system, how long will this be?

“How many times will this procedure be cancelled and rebooked due to a lack of physicians and nurses?

“Will I need to pay for the procedure and for any further diagnostic tests that I my need?

“I cannot afford to pay for expensive procedures and test if the” Conservative “government moves ahead with privatization of our health care system.

“While all of this was happening, I was also laid off from my full-time job. I am only able to find part-time work and therefore I have no benefits, no sick time, and I must pay out of pocket for medications, which total roughly $400 every three months.

“I am having to make the hard choice to remain on my medications and not be able to purchase enough groceries. At times, I have to deny myself meals in order to pay for medications and maintain my household expenses.

“Please help not only myself, but the many ... patients who are in similar situations.

“When will” the Premier and the Minister of Health “realize that our system is in crisis now and this crisis will not improve unless Bill 124 is repealed and they are willing to listen to the people who are currently facing such challenges?

“The plan to privatize the health care system is not the solution.”

Karen is an RPN. She reached out to me.

“I am a constituent in your riding of Sudbury.

“I am ... one of Ontario’s 50,000 registered practical nurses (RPNs) who has been working on the front lines of this pandemic, providing critically needed care for the people in your community. I am writing today to share my concerns that RPNs continue to be undervalued for the important care we provide, despite going above and beyond the call of duty.

“Ontario’s RPNs are college-educated, regulated nurses who combine nursing skill, knowledge and judgment to deliver exceptional care....

“I work alongside RNs and perform the same care, and am paid considerably less....

“Though the RPN role is much more similar to our registered nurse (RN) colleagues, our compensation continues to be more closely aligned with personal support workers (PSWs)....

“RPNs are continuing to be squeezed by growing workloads as they care for an increasingly complex patient and resident population, while facing stagnant wages. We have also seen inflation grow to over 4.5%”—higher since she wrote this. “I am paying more for gas, groceries, insurance as well paying my licensure and mandated liability insurance through WeRPN. This is over $700 per year.

“More and more nurses are considering leaving the profession at a time when we need them most. As my elected official, I am urging you to take action to recognize the extremely challenging realities that RPNs like myself are facing.... As a first step, I am asking that the government take immediate steps to increase the wages of RPNs to align with the current realities of their role.”

I am asking on behalf of her for the government to repeal Bill 124.