This Sounds Wrong!

Early December 2008, The Telegram Wrote:

The Task Force on Adverse Health Events has released a report that calls for among other things, apology legislation and mandatory reporting of occurrences by health personnel. The task force was appointed in 2007 in the heat of the scandal over Eastern Health hormone receptor testing errors, but the task force wasn’t mandated to investigate specifics surrounding those errors. Rather the Cameron Inquiry has that chore. But the task force, headed by top civil servant Robert Thompson, was put in charge of designing a model for health authorities to follow in the future.

The report sets out 41 recommendations, including a path for reporting and investigating adverse events and key to that is an electronic occurrence reporting system across the province, Thompson said. Evidence at the Cameron Inquiry has shown there was no occurrence report and the paper trail was chaotic and inconsistent, lacking formal documentation.

The Cameron Inquiry amassed thousands of documents from handritten notes to emails to try to piece together the sequence of events. The task force also recommends legislation that would allow officials to apologize without it being an admission of liability.

And the report recommends a tighter definition in legislation to protect peer reviews from disclosure. A series of reports by outside consultants was the subject of a Supreme Court of Newfoundland and Labrador challenge by Eastern Health to keep them from the commission of inquiry. But Justice Wayne Dymond ruled the reports weren't privileged.

The task force report would protect such peer review reports from the public — as Thompson said participation has dropped — but allow a separate review process that would be made public. Health Minister Ross Wiseman said some of the recommendations could be acted on right away — regarding policy, but legislation may have to wait until the Cameron Inquiry report comes out in the spring. Asked if he would issue an immediate directive ordering health personnel to report occurrences, Wiseman suggested there needs to be an education campaign by the health authorities to encourage employees to report occurrences. Occurrences can be anything from a spill on the floor to events that jeopardize patient safety.


This information is very scary to me, and should be to you as well; simply because at the end of the day, these recommendations will destroy the logic for Newfoundlanders and Labradoreans to even look for political accountability and transparency from our government. Wwithout these two guideline tools, it would seem that "mistakes" could and will happen much, much easier.

I believe we have reached a time in our province, where human suffering has no affect on emotion, compassion or spirit, especially of those departments, boards and agencies that are appointed to design and deliver services geared toward ensuring a quality health care and over all good health.

I believe these recommendations will open doors for further human suffering, pain and unanswered questions. For the most part, this task force is saying to government and it's agencies, not only can you make mistakes, but here are the recommended policies that should be implemented, and suggestions on how to legislate these into bills that will help to cover your own ass.

Sure it is easy for Wiseman to add, "these recommendations can be acted on right away", why would he not? Sooner the better I'd say.

Our provinces most vulnerable are being sent to the wolves, all in the name of power and greed! If we parent children, we teach them not to lie, cheat and steal, meanwhile our most highest esteem leaders are not only taught how do all three, but how to be protected when they do.

This very report tells me that more seniors, disabled, and societal burdens will suffer gravely and die premature deaths because we as a province can say we are sorry!

Brudder