NDP labels SHA memo a bid to silence doctors
REGINA The Saskatchewan Health Authority (SHA) asked doctors to be careful what they write in publicly accessible documents amid warnings of “discordant messaging,” according to a memo the Opposition NDP said reveals a “culture of secrecy” in the health system.
The party obtained a briefing note issued to a body called the Area Practitioner Advisory Committee on Sept. 24, 2019. The Saskatchewan NDP said a senior SHA manager sent it to physicians in Regina. The document pointed to recent incidents that hadn’t met “communications standards,” including physicians contacting external bodies like news media and the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Saskatchewan without first informing others in the SHA.
It also advised physician leaders to be aware that department meeting minutes “can be subject to freedom of information requests.”
“If you do not want to see it in the newspaper, then do not include it in the meeting minutes,” said the note.
NDP Leader Ryan Meili hammered the government on the memo during question period on Tuesday, saying it reveals an “allergy to transparency” in the government. He criticized the memo for, in his view, discouraging physicians from advocating for their patients.
“Discordant messaging, there’s some Newspeak for you,” Meili said, using a term from George Orwell’s 1984. “That’s code for, ‘Don’t
tell the public the truth about the real problems in our emergency rooms, our wards, our long-term care homes.’ ”
He said he’s heard from public sector workers who feel cowed into silence by what he called a “vindictive” government. “My colleagues, others in health care, others in education and social services are getting exactly this kind of messaging all the time: ‘Watch what you say or you might not have a job,’ ” said Meili, who previously worked as a family doctor.
But Health Minister Jim Reiter called that kind of argument “nonsense.” The memo did not contain any threats of retribution against staff who didn’t comply with the communications advice.
“This is no attempt by this government to muzzle any front-line worker,” Reiter said.
He later acknowledged to reporters that the memo was “poorly worded in a few places.”
He said he will talk to SHA CEO Scott Livingstone to ask him to clarify that the memo isn’t intended to silence doctors from speaking out.
Reiter said he was unaware of the memo until Meili raised it in question period. He agreed that the point about not putting matters into minutes due to possible freedom of information requests appears damning.
He reassured physicians that they’re free to air their concerns.
“We want people to speak freely. We’re not muzzling anyone, certainly not doctors,” he said.
The SHA later insisted that the memo was intended to ensure that publicly accessible documents must follow privacy legislation and to remind physicians to be clear about whether they’re speaking on behalf of the SHA. The memo noted that some physicians had requested resources from government using SHA letterhead, and advised that they should not do so when engaging in advocacy.