REGINA – NDP Leader Carla Beck made clear Thursday she did not like what she’s heard from nurses about the state of health care in the province.

Beck attended both the Saskatchewan Union of Nurses conference, as well as a rally of nurses in front of the Legislature during the noon hour. She told reporters that what she is hearing is frustration and concern about unsafe working conditions.

“I heard from a lot of angry and frustrated nurses who are working in conditions that are not only unsafe for nurses, they’re making for unsafe conditions of care for patients in this province,” said Beck.

“And I heard them, like I’ve heard so many people in this province, say it’s time for change. It’s time for a government that’s going to listen, that’s not going to make empty promises at election time, that is actually going to work with those on the front lines in healthcare and deliver results for nurses, and for the Saskatchewan people.”

Beck also voiced her dismay that neither Scott Moe, who was in Prince Albert for a Sask Party announcement there, nor his Minister of Health Everett Hindley were in attendance at the SUN conference Thursday.

“I also heard a lot of frustration today about despite the fact that both leaders were given the honour of being invited to speak to nurses, that Scott Moe and the Sask Party not only didn’t show up, that they didn’t even bother to let them know they weren’t coming. They deserve better than this, and Saskatchewan people deserve better than this.”

Beck added she understood why health care workers were cynical. She characterized the Sask Party as “a government who waves the four-point human resources plan, saying that’s the most ambitious in the country. It wasn’t even built with healthcare workers.“

Tracy Zambory, President of the SUN union, also voiced dismay to reporters that neither Moe nor Hindley showed up. Zambory said her reaction was feeling “extremely disrespected.”

“How can nurses in this province feel anything but disrespected, when you haven’t even got the courtesy actually to give a phone call to say something’s come up. We wouldn’t have been happy about it, but we can at least accept not being completely disrespected and ignored. But that’s the pattern we’re in these days.”

As for the possibility that the reason for their absence might have been due to the writ period, Zambory did not buy that argument.

“I believe that to be an excuse. How is it they can go to PA and make a whole bunch of announcements and speak to people? Registered nurses are voting constituents just like everyone else. They deserve the respect of politicians, of the people who run this country and this province. They deserve that respect, and they’re not getting it.”

Zambory voiced her unhappiness with the situations faced on a regular basis in emergency rooms. As for reports of hospitals running out of oxygen, Zambory said they hear about it every day — ever since the inception of the AIMS program and the “disaster” that created.

“Safe staffing is going to get the vote of Saskatchewan nurses,” said Zambory.

“We’re done with being disrespected. So when someone shows up at your doorstep and wants your vote, they have to earn it. They have to tell you what they’re going to do for healthcare. They have to tell you what their plan is to solve this nursing crisis and not only do they have to make the promise of it, they have to put it in writing. Because we’re sick and tired of the broken promises we are putting up with with this government the last two years.”

In Prince Albert Thursday, Scott Moe was asked about SUN concerns about Royal University Hospital being at 350 per cent capacity and the problems with overcrowding. Moe acknowledged it was a challenge, and a “Canadian challenge”. 

He said in Saskatchewan what they had done was provide competitive rates to health care employees and provided $300 million in funding to the Health Human Resources Action Plan, and had expanded training opportunities. He said “we are starting to have results but there’s more work to do.”

“In the last 18 months we’ve seen over 1300 nurses being hired, about 1000 from across Canada, Canadian grads, and about 350 from overseas,” Moe said. 

Zambory was dismissive of the Sask Party claiming their government had hired 1300 nurses in 18 months. 

“I’m calling his bluff. It’s not true,” said Zambory.

“It’s all broken promises. None of it has translated to the front line. They’ve put a number of plans in Saskatoon and Regina for capacity. Calling their bluff, it’s not happening. Patient is suffering, we are in the worst nursing crisis we’ve had in a decade, so no, it’s not working.”