Just one day after putting out a tender for proposals to set up a whistleblower hotline, the Saskatchewan Health Authority (SHA) has pulled its request.
Officials said it was withdrawn to allow the agency to “conduct further internal work on disclosure policies.”
The SHA said it was looking to establish a hotline service through which violations of policies, codes of conduct or legal requirements could be reported anonymously.
CUPE, a union that represents 14,000 health-care workers in the province, slammed the idea, saying a hotline would be a wasteful use of money as there are already processes in place for complaints.
“Health dollars would be better invested in front-line services, like adequate staffing levels, new infrastructure and equipment,” Sandra Seitz, president of CUPE Local 5430, said Wednesday in a release.
The SHA said there are currently processes in place for the public and staff to raise concerns as it continues to look at new reporting mechanisms.
The complaint process currently includes patient advocates, client representatives and quality of care co-ordinators. It also allows people to make complaints through regulatory bodies.
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