B.C.’s Ombudsperson says government doing well at implementing recommendations following health firings

British Columbia’s Ombudperson says the provincial government has addressed most of the recommendations following a report into the firing of eight Ministry of Health workers, but still has work to do on key commitments.

The province agreed to implement all 41 recommendations put forward by Jay Chalke in the 2017 Ombudsperson report.

“The effort and collaboration required to make these important improvements in the public service has been very significant and I am heartened by the progress to date,” said Chalke. “Taken together, these steps help mitigate the risk that the series of events in 2012 could reoccur.”

In 2012, seven government health workers and a contract employee were fired because of a flawed and rushed investigation. Chalke’s report found that the employees did not deserve the personal, financial and professional harm they suffered.

WATCH HERE: Health firings report released

WATCH HERE: Presser: Christy Clark on the Ombudsman’s involvement in health ministry firings inquiry

“What the report found was that these people were inappropriately fired without evidence and without legitimacy. Obviously that had a profound effect on the place. There is real trauma to use a common word we use now,” said Dix. “To address that it will be a test every day for us.

“I would expect it to be a work in progress for us to keep going. I would expect we will work on it every day I am minister.”

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