Opposition claims Sask. government is blurring lines with Lean

Saskatchewan's opposition leader says an arms-length health agency is being used by the government to do its public relations work.

In particular, the NDP's Cam Broten says documents from the province's Health Quality Council show that group has been given the task of not just implementing so-called Lean managementin health care but also communicating its benefits.

The government has a $35-million contract with a U.S. consultant to bring Leanto the province's health care system. The documents suggest it was that consultant who wanted communicationswork about Lean to be done by the quality council, rather than by the ministry of health.

Opposition says roles at odds

Broten said those two roles seem to be at odds. "How can the Health Quality Council possibly fulfill its mandate to provide objective, independent information Mr. Speaker, when it is forced to be the cheerleader for this government's lean pet project?"

Saskatchewan's health minister said the mandate of the province's Health Quality Council has always included improving the quality of health care.

Dustin Duncan said he is not familiar with the specific reasons the consultant wanted communications done by the council rather than officials in the ministry of health, but the final decision to do that was made by the government.

Minister says decisionmakes sense

"What it came down to was it made a lot of sense based on the work that the health quality council was already doing on quality improvement," Duncan said.

Duncan said the council took on the extra work willingly and would never be a mouthpiecefor government.

"This is work that they believe in, that they feel and they've seen the evidence that it does improve the quality of care in this province," said Duncan.

Dr. Susan Shaw,chair of the Health Quality Council's board of directors, said the council approached its work on Lean management with "great scrutiny" and believes in its ability to improve the health system.

She said if that were not the case, she would feel "very comfortable speaking out" to the government and others.