It is time to stop blaming the pandemic

<p><b>What is known about the topic?</b> Avoidable adverse events are often being attributed to health workforce shortages associated with the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic and government funding cuts. <b>What does this paper add?</b> Health workforce shortages were predicted well before the COVID-19 pandemic. <b>What are the implications for practitioners?</b> Senior executives and leaders should unitedly take action to influence change in funding and models of care.