The National Alliance for Safety and Health in Healthcare applauds House of Commons Standing Committee on Health for recommendations to address violence facing healthcare workers

For Immediate Release – June 26, 2019

Burnaby, BC – Earlier this month, SafeCare BC CEO Jennifer Lyle addressed the House of Commons Standing Committee on Health on workplace violence in Canada’s continuing care sector. Lyle raised three main concerns related to issues of workplace violence: understaffing, lack of resources, and the increasing pressure faced by healthcare workers.
The National Alliance for Safety and Health in Healthcare, of which SafeCare BC is a founding member, applauds the Standing Committee on Health for including several of its recommendations in a report to Parliament.

“We are pleased to see that the Standing Committee on Health recognizes the importance of this issue, not only for the health care workers across Canada but also for the people who rely on these workers daily for care,” says Lyle. “We encourage Members of Parliament to consider these recommendations, as more investment in violence prevention strategies is needed, so workers can go home safely to their families at the end of their shift.”
Nationally, time-loss claims due to violence in health and social services have increased by over 65% in the past ten years. Workplace violence contributes to the vicious cycle of staffing shortages in continuing care. Staffing shortages lead to workplace injuries, and workplace injuries lead to staffing shortages.

Recommendations proposed by the National Alliance for Safety and Health in Healthcare

• That the Government of Canada develop a national public awareness campaign to raise awareness about the violence faced by healthcare workers and highlight the valuable role healthcare professionals play in providing care to Canadians.
• That the Government of Canada work with the provinces and territories and health care stakeholders to develop a pan-Canadian framework to prevent violence in health care settings, which would include promoting the adoption of best practices in violence prevention across the country
• That the Government of Canada provide funding to the Canadian Institute for Health Information to develop standard definitions and terminology in relation to workplace violence in healthcare settings and collect national standardized statistics in this area.
• That the Government of Canada work with the provinces and territories to address staffing shortages in healthcare settings by updating the PanCanadian Health Human Resources Strategy to reflect the healthcare needs of seniors, the well-being of healthcare providers and the shift towards community-based care.
• That the Government of Canada expand its Invest in Canada Plan to provide targeted funding to upgrade existing long-term care facilities and other healthcare infrastructure to better meet the needs of patients through public-private partnerships.

View the full Standing Committee report