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The StarPhoenix (Saskatoon) Fri Oct 9 2015

A policy think tank is bringing attention to what it sees as an "acceleration" of privatization under the Saskatchewan Party, something the deputy premier dismisses as "fearmongering." A new report by the Saskatchewan office of the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives documents what it considers to be more than 50 instances of privatization, or at least announced plans for it, in the past decade, from the sale of Crown subsidiaries to public-private partnerships to the contracting out of public services. The office's director and report author, Simon Enoch, called the reco d "quite substantial - a lot more than I think the average citizen would suspect."

Enoch said that despite studies showing strong public support for Crown corporations, the "subterranean privatization agenda going on really hasn't seemed to activate the public." He suspects that's because much of the privatization that's occurred has been below-the-radar, such as that of the Information Services Corporation or hospital laundry services. He said the issue is likely to pick up steam as the government wades into more well-known areas like liquor stores and MRIs. "I would fully expect to see them attempt a major privatization should they win a new mandate in the next election," Enoch said. The trend hasn't gone unnoticed by the Saskatchewan Federation of Labour. Its president, Larry Hubich, said the report "reaffirms what we've known. We've been saying for quite a while that there's a creeping privatization agenda that's almost being carried out in stealth." He added that privatization is "risky and costs taxpayers more in the long run."

The Leader-Post (Regina) Tue Nov 17 2015

Raise your hand if you've heard this phrase before: on time and on budget. Those five words are oft repeated as governments - in Saskatchewan and elsewhere - defend publicprivate partnership (P3) funding models. "On time and on budget has been a really powerful message," says Matti Siemiatycki, a professor of urban planning at the University of Toronto.

On Monday, the Saskatchewan Federation of Labour (SFL) delivered a petition to the government calling for the end of privatization. Close to 20,000 people signed the petition, which criticizes the government's use of P3s. Under the P3 model in Saskatchewan, nine elementary schools, a long-term care home in Swift Current, a hospital in North Battleford and the Regina Bypass are being built. SFL president Larry Hubich said the petition is one of the largest in the province's history, and is meant to help "raise awareness around the deals that are going on under the guise of public-private partnerships." Since arriving in Saskatchewan a few years ago, P3s have been controversial.

The Leader-Post (Regina) Tue Dec 22 2015

Whether the Saskatchewan government is choosing the right course with public private partnerships (P3s) or rejecting changes to the Canada Pension Plan (CPP) seems debatable ... or at least, a matter of one's political perspective. Notwithstanding (or perhaps because of ) the government's staunch defence of P3s - there were no fewer than four ministers recently touting a pricey Ernst and Young report on the $90 million taxpayers are allegedly saving on the new Saskatchewan Hospital at North Battleford - there are those who point to publicsector auditors who totally disagree with their private-sector accountant brethren on the value of such P3s.

Similarly, Saskatchewan Finance Minister Kevin Doherty appeared to be the lone voice at Monday's national finance ministers' meeting, where he opposed the federal Liberal campaign promise to change Canada Pension Plan contributions and benefits. "It's a payroll tax on the business community," Doherty said last week. "In very, very tight economic times like this, it might not mean the difference of laying offa staffperson or two. It might mean shutting down the entire restaurant."

One quarter of workers surveyed rated care in Saskatchewan as 'poor'

Jun 16, 2015

Karen Wasylenko addresses the media in Regina about concerns the union has about long term care in the province.

October 17th, 2014 Simon Enoch

Saskatchewan Premier Brad Wall once again stirred the privatization pot yesterday when he took to social media to ask: “Is it time to allow people to pay for their own private MRI’s in Saskatchewan like they can do in Alberta?” The Premier’s twitter trial balloon suggests the government will argue that allowing private, for-profit MRIs will help reduce wait times in the public system. The Premier himself added: “It does make sense that the wait list is going to shrink because those who want to pay will come off that public wait list and they’ll get their MRIs and thereby shortening the wait list for all, whether they want to pay or not.”

The Globe and Mail Tue Dec 8 2015

Canadians continue to queue up for medical care with efforts to reduce wait times bringing limited improvements, say two new studies that come one month before federal and provincial ministers meet to begin negotiating a new health accord.

The pair of annual reports - one from the Wait Time Alliance, the other from the Fraser Institute - find little year-over-year change in the wait for medically necessary procedures. Where there is improvement, the report from the Wait Time Alliance finds the progress is "spotty" with access to care, dependent on where in the country you live and, at times, your age.

Which party aligns with your view?

Apr 03, 2016

Where do the Saskatchewan Party, the NDP, the Green Party and the Liberals stand on the issues that matter to you in the Saskatchewan provincial election? We break their platforms down on the topics of education and healthcare. These are highlights. For the complete party platforms, follow the links provided.

Posted on July 22, 2016

This Labour Day, CUPE Saskatchewan is inviting members who ride motorcycle to join in the first annual Labour Day Ride for Respect on September 5, 2016. The Ride for Respect is dedicated to promote respect for workers and their rights. Participating motorcycle riders will travel between Labour Day celebrations hosted by unions in Regina and Saskatoon.

Posted on July 11, 2016

REGINA: A new report from the CUPE Saskatchewan Health Care Council shows that understaffing and workload are critical issues in continuing care in this province.

Mar 27, 2014

Yorkton: WHAT:  Activists across the country are hosting events to educate Canadians about the Federal Conservatives’ refusal to negotiate a new Health Accord. In Yorkton, health care providers and community members will be picketing MP Garry Breitkreuz’s office. There will be a few speakers as well. WHY:  The federal-provincial Health Accord expires March 31, 2014. Since 2011, Ottawa has refused to meet with the Premiers to sign a new Accord. Instead, the Federal Conservative Government plans to cut $36 billion from public health care. This will mean Saskatchewan will receive $100 million less every year for the next ten years for health care, which means less funding for quality patient care in Saskatchewan. WHEN:  March 31 at 10:00 am. WHERE:  In front of MP Garry Breitkreuz’s constituency office at 19 1st Avenue North, Yorkton. There are four events happening on March 31 in Saskatchewan as part of the national day of action for a new health accord. Learn more here:  http://healthcoalition.ca/. For more information contact:  Tria Donaldson, National Communications Representative, CUPE Saskatchewan at 306.531.6247

Yorkton This Week Wed May 20 2015

New legislation introduced will give patients the ability to choose to pay privately for a Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) scan in Saskatchewan. "Reducing wait times and giving patients more choice over their own care decisions is a high priority for the people of Saskatchewan," Health Minister Dustin Duncan said. "Wait times for many services are still too long. Our government is committed to moving forward with new and innovative solutions to barriers that prevent the very best in patient access and satisfaction."

The new legislation will allow for the creation of regulations that will require private clinics to provide a second scan to a patient on the public wait list at no charge every time a scan is provided to someone who chooses to pay for their own MRI. A physician referral will still be required to obtain an MRI scan. This arrangement is similar to agreements that are in place that allow for the Saskatchewan Roughriders and the Worker's Compensation Board (WCB) to purchase MRI scans. In both agreements, the Roughriders and the WCB pay for an additional scan for a patient on the public wait list. "The requirement for a private clinic to cover a second scan on the public wait list will increase fairness and access," Duncan said. "We are once again leading the way with an innovative, made-in-Saskatchewan approach to reducing wait times." Following passage of the Act and the establishment of regulations, private-pay MRI services could be offered in existing private MRI facilities as early as the spring of 2016. This model will be evaluated after one year in order to ensure it is meeting the goals of improving access to safe, high quality care.

The StarPhoenix (Saskatoon) Tue Jul 7 2015

The Saskatchewan government has chosen the companies that will build a new joint psychiatric hospital and jail in North Battleford. And for the second time in a month, the government has selected the winning bidder for a public-private partnership project without releasing the cost of the project. "The P3 model is the right choice for delivering this leading-edge project in the most cost-effective and timely way," SaskBuilds Minister Gordon Wyant said in a Monday government news release. The government and winning partnership of companies intend to finalize and sign the contract for the design, build, maintain, and finance agreement this summer, the news release says.

The new 188-bed Saskatchewan Hospital will replace the centuryold North Battleford building that residents say is decrepit and lacks privacy. Tacked on to the new hospital will be a 96-room correctional centre for inmates who have mental health problems. The two groups won't be mixing together, the government has said. The buildings are scheduled to open by spring 2018.

13/01/2015

In 2010, the Saskatchewan government set out to “transform the surgical patient experience” through an ambitious multi-year, system-wide strategy. While the Saskatchewan Surgical Initiative (SkSI) placed strong emphasis on wait time reduction for elective surgery, the breadth of the initiative also gave priority to quality, safety, patient experience, and sustainability.

Through the systematic exploration of a single policy case study—the SkSI—this research identifies the critical factors that facilitate and inhibit major health system change. The main results demonstrate that achieving large-system change, within the context of the SkSI specifically, requires a complex and interdependent set of strategies, processes and organizational arrangements.

CMAJ March 17, 2015 vol. 187 no. 5 First published February 9, 2015, doi: 10.1503/cmaj.109-4990

Roger Collier

Part II: Today’s contentious negotiations echo those from the battle over medicare a half-century ago Doctors refuse to compromise, says one side. The government cares more about its budget than patients, says the other side. Doctors have rejected a “very fair offer,” says a provincial health minister. Patients can’t wait for the government to balance its books, says a medical association. You know, this all sounds mighty familiar.

By Ella Bedard | February 3, 2015

A new CCPA Saskatchewan report by University of Winnipeg economists concludes that privatizing provincial laundry services may garner some short-term savings but at long-term costs. In 2013, Saskatchewan's government announced that it would be replacing five publicly owned hospital laundries. Sometime this year, those regional services will be replaced with a private centralized laundry services operated by Alberta-based K-Bro Linen, which will establish a single plant in Regina to serve the entire province.

The report finds that laundry plant closure in Prince Albert alone will result in 74 jobs lost, causing a decline in labour income of $2.5 million in the region, and a decline in regional GDP of $3.7 million. "It's a decent paying job, it's Monday to Friday, and there are a lot of couples that work here, so they are both going to lose their jobs," said CUPE Local 3736 president Anita Labossiere, whose union represents 74 workers at North Sask Laundry in Prince Albert, one of five locations that will soon be closed.

The Leader-Post (Regina) Tue Dec 22 2015

The Canadian Union of Public Employees Saskatchewan is asking the federal health minister to review the Wall government's Bill 179, which permits private userpay MRI facilities in the province. The bill was passed by the government on Nov. 4 with the goal that it would be proclaimed in February before voters head to the polls in April.

Under the bill, when a patient elects to pay for an MRI out-ofpocket, the private clinic that does that MRI must provide a free scan for someone on the public wait-list.

The StarPhoenix (Saskatoon) Mon Nov 23 2015

There is nothing novel about providing some medical services in a private practice setting in Saskatchewan. Imaging services, such as X-rays and ultrasound, are already provided that way. What is novel is to legislate that these services will be privately paid for.

The Canada Health Act requires that medicare finance all "medically necessary" physician services. The intent of the act is that services be distributed on the basis of medical necessity rather than ability to pay. There is no doubt that the new Saskatchewan legislation will restrict access to services if private MRIs are not covered by medicare. Of course, enforcement of the federal Health Act is subject to ministerial discretion. The Saskatchewan government, when it drafted its legislation, was probably confident that the former federal minister would be discreet. It is highly doubtful that the new federal Liberal government will take the same view

New proposed essential services legislation introduced by the Saskatchewan Party government on October 15 does not erase the harm done to tens of thousands of Saskatchewan workers who were stripped of their right to collective bargaining for seven years, according to Bob Bymoen, President of the Saskatchewan Government and General Employees' Union (SGEU/NUPGE).

21 Oct. 2015

The Leader-Post (Regina) Mon Oct 19 2015

The government announced changes to Saskatchewan's MRI process in the spring, and Premier Brad Wall has made it a priority to push the legislation through the house. The new system will allow people to pay a private clinic for an MRI, effectively skipping to the front of the queue. In return, the clinic will have to provide a second, free, MRI to the public system. Health Minister Dustin Duncan says it will chip away at ballooning wait times and provide more options to patients, but critics say the plan will create a two-tier health system and won't lessen waits at all. Here's a look at the government's plan.

The business case One of the biggest questions around the legislation is this: Will any private clinics bite? As Bryan Salte from the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Saskatchewan points out, between the investment in people and equipment, setting up a private clinic is "an expensive proposition," and he's "not sure it's a guaranteed way to make money." Duncan says government is "not going to force anybody to do this." At the end of the day, Duncan says, private clinics are "going to have to determine for themselves whether ... from their point of view, it's a sound business idea."

We have cyclical resource revenues in Saskatchewan. Of this, there is no dispute. How cyclical they truly are will again be demonstrated when Finance Minister Kevin Doherty presents today’s 2016-17 budget. Hopefully, he will not repeat the mistakes of his predecessors who consistently inflated revenue projections at budget time and wound up overseeing a deficit budget that year.

Wall said on Monday that the 2016-17 Saskatchewan budget will have $1 billion less revenue than last year. This is obviously not comforting, because it translates into the Saskatchewan Party government’s third-straight deficit budget and sixth deficit in nine years. But by acknowledging this problem at budget time — instead of playing the game of high-balling resource revenues and presenting a deficit at year’s end — we at least are seeing early signs that the government gets that its deficits are no longer cyclical, but structural in nature.

Consider how its supposed big cost-saver in health — the John Black and Associates lean model — has produced no tangible evidence of actual savings, but plenty of evidence that it it has created a new bureaucracy within the already-bloated health bureaucracy. In Regina, there are now no fewer than 36 government/health region employees with the term “Kaizen” in their title — JBA’s lasting legacy of lean — including six Kaizen directors, 12 Kaizen specialists, lean specialists, workflow specialists, directors, Kaizen promotion office specialists, surgical Kaizen specialists, communication specialists, “Kanban” specialists, conference administrators, standard work and replication specialists, measurement specialists and certification and training specialists.