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.
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 per cent of registered nurses are considering leaving their profession, 2000 eligible to retire, and hundreds write to share stories of unsafe conditions and patient suffering, the urgency of these 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.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Biden and Harris call the Israeli strike killing Hezbollah’s Nasrallah a 'measure of justice'
The Israeli strike that killed Hezbollah's Hassan Nasrallah was a 'measure of justice' for victims of a four-decade 'reign of terror,' U.S. President Joe Biden said Saturday.
'I think he needs to go serve a few more meals:' Ottawa Mission CEO fires back at Ford encampment comments
The CEO of the Ottawa Mission is responding to controversial comments made this week by Premier Doug Ford about those living in homeless encampments that received swift blowback from advocates.
Why Will Ferrell wanted a doc about his friendship with a trans woman to release before the U.S. election
Will Ferrell said in an interview with Variety that it was important for him to release his documentary, 'Will and Harper,' before the U.S. election so people could have conversations about trans people.
At least 56 dead and millions without power after Helene's deadly march across U.S. southeast
Massive rains from powerful Hurricane Helene left people stranded, without shelter and awaiting rescue Saturday, as the cleanup began from a tempest that killed at least 56 people, caused widespread destruction across the U.S. Southeast and left millions without power.
SpaceX launches rescue mission for 2 NASA astronauts who are stuck in space until next year
SpaceX launched a rescue mission for the two stuck astronauts at the International Space Station on Saturday, sending up a downsized crew to bring them home but not until next year.
LGBTQ2S+ minister Pascale St-Onge to make history with parental leave
Canadian Heritage Minister Pascale St-Onge is set to make history by becoming the first openly lesbian cabinet minister to take parental leave when her wife gives birth in the coming weeks.
They hit it off on vacation but then he went silent. So she decided to pick up the phone
When a few weeks passed and Nana Prempeh still hadn’t heard from the guy she met on vacation, she turned to her friends for advice.
What is open and closed this National Day for Truth and Reconciliation
This Monday, Sept. 30 is the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation (NDTR), a federal statutory holiday and day of remembrance for the Indigenous children who never came home from Canadian residential schools, as well as those who survived them.
Sima Sistani, who embraced Ozempic, is out as CEO of WeightWatchers
WeightWatchers CEO Sima Sistani, who pushed the company into embracing weight-loss drugs, is leaving the position after a two-and-a-half year stint.