VANCOUVER B.C. – B.C. Green Party deputy leader Dr. Sanjiv Gandhi released the following statement today on the B.C. government’s expected expansion of whistleblower protection:
“The BC Greens welcome today’s very long overdue announcement by Health Minister Adrian Dix that whistleblower protection will be expanded to the healthcare workforce in British Columbia.
“The Public Interest Disclosure Act (PIDA) was passed in 2018 in response to the ombudsperson’s 2017 report, Misfire: The 2012 Ministry of Health Employment Terminations and Related Matters. B.C. Green Party Leader Sonia Furstenau and Saanich North and the Islands MLA Adam Olsen have repeatedly advocated for expansion of PIDA, including after Dr. Turpel-Lafond, in her 2020 In Plain Sight report, stated that whistleblower protection legislation could be extended to healthcare workers quite quickly. We question why there is a further delay in including educational institutions and health agencies under PIDA legislation until December 2023, and in 2024. These changes should be enacted immediately.
“In addition, this expanded legislation should be accompanied by removing all requirements for healthcare workers to discuss public communications with B.C. Healthcare Authority Communications Departments. Healthcare workers should be permitted to freely and directly express their concerns regarding systematic issues that are so prevalent today and are resulting in a decreased quality of care for the citizens of BC. We must start listening to those that provide care. Listen to what works, what does not, and allow our doctors and nurses to speak their mind, unintimidated. By fostering a culture of respect, we will start to promote an environment that provides better patient-provider communication and ultimately, improved health outcomes for all.”
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