Minister of Health invites healthcare provider unions to join nursing task force

Minister of Health Everett Hindley wrote to healthcare provider unions on Friday inviting them to join a nursing task force, something the government previously said no to.

In the letter posted to his social media, Hindley addressed SEIU West, CUPE, SGEU, and SUN, and said he is committed to continue conversations on the task force.

Minister Hindley’s letter said he and the nurses’ unions held several discussions in September, intended to explore the idea of establishing the nursing task force.

On Friday, Hindley wrote to union presidents inviting them to join the task force.

“We are proposing a first of its kind in Saskatchewan, patient-focused Nursing Task Force that includes the nursing team and unions representing them,” the letter read.

Nursing unions have been asking for a task force for some time, as hospitals exceeded capacity limits on several occasions.

In March of 2023, SUN asked the province to implement a nursing task force, which would consult with nurses working in the profession right now and would inquire with nurses who have left, retired, or cut back hours to see what it would take to get them back full time.

“We’ve already given them enough background on how we could do it. We have a framework put together. Those conversations can happen now and we can get going,” SUN president Tracy Zambory had said.

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In a social media post on Saturday, SUN said they are “disheartened” by Minister Hindley’s letter.

"We are disappointed to see that at a crisis point in healthcare, after almost two years of meetings and calling for action, and at a time when 86% of registered nurses are reporting patient risk due to short staffing, 60% are considering leaving their profession, 2000 are eligible to retire, and hundreds write to share stories of unsafe conditions and patient suffering, the urgency of those voices are not being heard," the post read. 

SUN's letter to Hindley said they have been calling for a task force for the past two years that begins a conversation and includes urgent interventions.

"Unfortunately, what is being proposed in Minister Hindley's letter is vague future conversations with no actionable, funded commitments or immediate solutions to stabilize a system in crisis," the letter continued. 

On Saturday, the Saskatchewan NDP questioned why the Saskatchewan Party decided to “explore” a nursing task force days before the election.

“If Scott Moe was serious about this policy, why has he been saying ‘no’ for years? Talk about a fair-weather friend. He’s ignored healthcare workers and their ideas for years, only to show up, flowers in hand, days before he needs their votes,” NDP Health Critic Vicki Mowat said.

-With files from Stefanie Davis

-More details to come.