Archived News Releases

News Release - Manitoba

March 19, 2015

Manitoba Government Releases Provincewide Plan for Implementing Recommendations from Brian Sinclair Inquest

– – –
Strategy Sets Out Timeline for Moving Forward to Prevent Future Tragedies: Minister Blady

A plan that sets out a timetable to implement 63 recommendations from the Brian Sinclair report to prevent future tragedies was released today by Health Minister Sharon Blady.

“The death of Mr. Brian Sinclair in the Health Science Centre emergency department was tragic and preventable.  It cannot happen again,” said Minister Blady.  “The strategy I am releasing today sets out the path for improving health care throughout the province to ensure patients receive the kind of care we would expect for our loved ones.”

The provincial implementation team is chaired by Karen Herd, deputy minister of Manitoba Health, Healthy Living and Seniors. Members of the team include senior staff from regional health authorities, provincial health service organizations and the health department.

The team was tasked with developing a plan that ensures the orderly implementation of the Sinclair inquest recommendations the short-term (within the next nine months), the mid-term (within 10 to 24 months) and the long-term (longer than 24 months).

The provincial implementation team is recommending implementing all the recommendations consistently provincewide.  A number of steps are already in process including:

  • organizational policy and procedure reviews, which will be finished by March 2015; and
  • needed policy revisions or audits, which are scheduled to be completed by the end of 2015.

Once this work is complete, the implementation of revised policies will be done by the regions and service organizations, and will be reviewed within one year or by the end of December 2016.

The first phase will include implementation of the recommendations in emergency departments with more than 10,000 visits per year.  In the second phase, changes will be considered for smaller emergency departments based on several factors including the emergency department’s physical design, staffing patterns and the care needs of patients.

The minister noted other work is underway that addresses some of the recommendations including:

  • the implementation of a number of electronic systems in both community and hospital care settings, including eChart Manitoba, an electronic health record that includes key patient information for authorized health-care providers throughout the province;
  • the development of two new personal care homes in Lac du Bonnet and Morden, the expansion of Holy Family Home in Winnipeg and planning for two new, 120-bed personal care homes in Winnipeg;
  • the implementation of My Health Teams to improve access to primary care for all Manitobans; and
  • the expansion of QuickCare clinics to eight from five by the end of this year.

“We are committed to seeing these recommendations implemented, and I want to thank the implementation team for their work so far,” said Minister Blady.  “Working together, we will be making significant changes to make sure patients across the province receive safe, quality care.”

The full report can be found at www.gov.mb.ca/health/bsi_report.html.

- 30 -