Latest news with #CulturalSafety
CBC
3 days ago
- Health
- CBC
New board appointed to address systemic racism and inclusion in Yukon health care
Seven people were appointed as board members last Friday to launch Shäw Kwä'ą / Health and Wellness Yukon. The new authority will collaborate with Yukon First Nations to address systemic racism, cultural safety and inclusive care.
CBC
05-08-2025
- Health
- CBC
SHA introduces policy to protect Indigenous hair traditions
Social Sharing The Saskatchewan Health Authority (SHA) has introduced a new policy aimed at protecting the cultural and spiritual significance of hair for Indigenous patients in health-care settings. In a newsletter sent to staff last Friday and obtained by CBC News, the SHA announced the Indigenous Hair Cutting Policy went into effect Aug. 1. It requires health-care workers to get informed consent before cutting a patient's hair, and ensure the respectful handling and return of hair when cutting is necessary. The new policy also clarifies that cutting hair is not a necessary treatment for lice and should only occur for medically urgent reasons, such as head injuries or surgeries. "Hair is a symbol of Indigenous personhood and guides the quality of relationships and connection to self and community developed throughout an individual's life," the newsletter said. Consent, cultural safety at the forefront Under the new policy, SHA staff must have conversations with patients and their families about the spiritual importance of hair before any cutting takes place. The policy applies to both non-emergency and emergency situations, ensuring that cultural and spiritual considerations are respected in every scenario. "This policy reaffirms our commitment to the Truth and Reconciliation Calls to Action," said Jennifer Ahenakew, the SHA's vice-president of First Nations and Métis Health, in a memo to staff. "It supports our work to advance a culturally responsive health-care environment that acknowledges and respects the spiritual and cultural significance of hair to many Indigenous peoples." Bonnie Marwood, a former patient advocate for Métis Nation-Saskatchewan, said while the policy is a positive step, it also raises questions about why it took so long to formalize. "I'm really pleased to see that that's happened and that they've gone to the effort to adhere to some of those calls to action. But then my next thought was, 'Why so long?'" she said. Marwood recalled last fall's case of Ruben St. Charles, a patient at Saskatoon's Royal University Hospital. St. Charles "had a broken hip. It had nothing to do with his hair — and they still felt it was necessary to cut it," she said. "We've never been told what happened to his hair." In response to the incident, the SHA told CBC News at the time that it "extends its deepest apologies for this individual's experience," adding that it remains committed to learning from the experience. Consequences for not following policy Ahenakew emphasized in the memo that the policy is "grounded in shared responsibility" and that "all SHA team members have a role in fostering inclusive, respectful and culturally responsive health care." SHA staff are encouraged to familiarize themselves with the policy as there will be consequences for those who don't follow it. Depending on the situation, the policy says it could lead to discipline under union agreements, contracts, or even termination of employment and staff privileges. Marwood also pointed out, while the policy focuses on Indigenous cultural practices, the respectful treatment of hair matters to many people. "It's also important to, let's say, our Sikh relatives," she noted. "[The SHA] made it Indigenous-slanted, but it's important to all citizens." While she believes the policy is a step in the right direction, Marwood said she's cautiously optimistic. "I think this is a part of SHA showing respect for their patients and I really hope that they take it and run with it," she said.
CBC
09-05-2025
- Health
- CBC
New health centre opens in Cranbrook with focus on Indigenous care
A brand new health-care facility officially opened in Cranbrook on Thursday. As Corey Bullock reports, it will provide culturally safe care for Indigenous people in the region.
Scoop
30-04-2025
- Health
- Scoop
Regulators Removing Health Workforce Cultural Safety Risks Clinical Safety
Te Tiratū Iwi Māori Partnership Board is calling on health regulators to immediately reject any proposal to remove cultural requirements from the regulation of healthcare professionals, saying such a move would be 'irresponsible, inequitable, and dangerous.' It is responding to the current Ministry of Health online survey Putting Patients First: Modernising health workforce regulation that closes just before midnight. One of the survey questions tests whether regulators should focus on factors beyond clinical safety — such as mandating cultural requirements. Te Tiratū, which represents 114,000 whānau Māori of the Tainui waka rohe, has submitted a formal response opposing the proposal to remove cultural requirements from regulation. The submission, Response to Proposal to Remove Cultural Requirements from Regulation was prepared by Board member Dr Mataroria Lyndon (MBChB, MPH, PhD), a Senior Lecturer in Medical Education at the University of Auckland, where he trains health professionals in cultural safety. Dr Lyndon emphasises that cultural safety is not an optional extra — 'You cannot have clinically safe care without culturally safe care. Cultural safety is not a parallel concern to clinical standards; it is foundational to them,' he said. 'Removing cultural requirements from regulation can compromise quality of care, deepen inequities, and breach our rights as tangata whenua under Te Tiriti o Waitangi. 'When patients don't feel culturally safe, they may not share pertinent health information, and as a result diagnosis, treatment, and trust can all suffer. Cultural safety isn't just about respecting cultural values — it's about improving health outcomes, clinical quality, and patient wellbeing.' Te Tiratū fully backs this position. Without cultural safety, patients may not feel comfortable disclosing vital information or engaging with treatment plans — all of which undermines clinical outcomes. Cultural safety empowers patients — not providers — to define what 'safety' means in their care. Without it, patients, especially Māori and other marginalised communities such as takatāpui (LGBTQI+) and tāngata whaikaha (disabled) whānau, face disengagement, reduced access to services, and poorer health outcomes. The Council for Medical Colleges' Cultural Safety Training Plan, developed in partnership with Te ORA (Te Ohu Rata o Aotearoa Māori Medical Practitioners), outlines how cultural safety must be embedded across training, clinical practice, governance, and at a systems level. Its principles are widely recognised by national health bodies, including the Australian Medical Council and Royal Australasian College of Physicians, which link cultural safety directly to clinical and patient safety. 'Culturally unsafe care is unsafe clinical care,' said Dr Lyndon. 'To remove these requirements would not only wind back decades of progress toward health equity — it would expose our communities to poorer quality care.' Research shows that cultural safety is an important pathway to health equity, supporting respectful and accountable engagement between practitioners and communities. It enables clinicians to work more effectively with Māori whānau by recognising and countering bias, racism, and harmful stereotypes — all of which contribute to more positive patient experiences in the health system. In September 2024, as part of its legislated functions under the Pae Ora (Healthy Futures) Act 2022, Te Tiratū delivered its Priorities Report to the government, which emphasised the importance of culturally responsive care. [1] In a separate Community Health Plan also handed to the Deputy Chief Executive of Te Manawa Taki region and senior officials, Te Tiratū reinforced the need for high-quality, community-led, culturally safe healthcare across the Te Tiratū rohe. [2] Even the government's own Te Pae Tata Interim New Zealand Health Plan reaffirms the importance of cultural safety training for the Te Whatu Ora workforce. [3] 'These are not new ideas — they are community-driven imperatives and government-endorsed priorities,' said Dr Lyndon. 'Contemplating removing cultural requirements from professional regulation flies in the face of both.' 'It's about ensuring our patients, whānau, and communities are seen, heard, and treated with dignity. Cultural safety is a critical lever to transform the system and structures that continue to disadvantage Māori who on average die between seven and nine years earlier than the general population.' He points to the recommendations in the groundbreaking 2019 Hauora Report from the WAI 2575 Health Services and Outcomes Kaupapa Inquiry, which affirms the Crown's binding obligation to ensure Māori have access to culturally appropriate healthcare. 'We are urging all regulators to uphold their obligations to Māori under Te Tiriti o Waitangi and to Aotearoa's wider commitment to equitable, patient-centred care.' 'This is not the time to retreat — it's time to double down on cultural safety, for the benefit of all.'
