Cautiously optimistic.
That's how the western chapter of the Service Employees' International Union (SEIU-West) feels after members met with provincial ministers to discuss the state of healthcare in Saskatchewan.
Union President Barbar Cape met with Health Minister Jeremy Cockrill and Mental Health and Addictions, Seniors and Rural and Remote Health Minister and Estevan-Big Muddy MLA Lori Carr earlier this week to propose healthcare improvements. “The Ministers seemed open to our concerns and suggestions and offered opportunities for further collaboration. We will hold them to those commitments," Cape said in a statement sent to the media.
The workers' union presented four action items that they hope would improve the province's healthcare system if implemented.
Creating a Joint Nursing Team Task Force
The aim is to create a coalition of nurses, Licensed Practical Nurses (LPNs), and Continuing Care Assistants (CCAs) that can identify and address healthcare issues in Saskatchewan. Cape says that the combined experience, knowledge and care that these groups provide is instrumental when it comes to handling the nursing crisis. SEIU-West notes that, if implemented, the task force would need to be given the mandate and resources to make real improvements.
Utilizing the full scope of skills that LPNs possess
Jessica Perrault, an experienced LPN, remarked to the ministers that operating rooms in smaller cities are running at less than full capacity because LPNs are restricted from broadening their knowledge and skills. “Full utilization would mean reduced waitlists, improve staffing, and less need for contracted—private—surgical providers, which saves money.” The ministers revealed to the union that the provincial government is working on new legislation to spur more collaboration within the healthcare sector.
Increasing the number of permanent full-time jobs in the healthcare sector with a focus on rural communities
The union is calling on the government to create enticing incentives to lure skilled healthcare workers to Saskatchewan and retain them. “Incentives to bring physicians or registered nurses (RNs) to Saskatchewan are only a small part of the solution. We need to invest more in the full range of workers providing the care and services that patients, clients, and residents need, as close as possible to where they live,” Cape noted in the statement.
Provide SHA and Ministers with regular tours of healthcare facilities
SEIU-West Vice President Jason Monteith said that tours used to happen in the past. It highlights to legislators the state of the healthcare system and shows first-hand what needs to be addressed. "It’s a good way for everyone, top to bottom, to see and feel that we are all invested, all accountable, and all working together to make the system work better,” Monteith added.
Cape expressed that SEIU-West will keep holding the government accountable in the pursuit of improving Saskatchewan's healthcare sector. The union plans to meet with NDP Opposition Critics throughout 2025 to lay out its key issues and proposals.