Still No Debbie’s Law Directive?
A little over a year ago, the Fewster family in Manitoba tragically lost their mother while she waited for the government to provide heart surgery.
One year later, the government has indicated nothing has been done to make sure other patients don’t suffer the same consequence.
To recap, Debbie was told she needed surgery within three weeks.
She died after waiting more than two months.
Debbie’s children told us that if they had known at the start that their mother’s life was in jeopardy – sitting on a government waiting list – they would have paid for her to receive surgery outside the province. This prompted our organization to draft, in consultation with Debbie’s family, a policy brief putting forward the idea of Debbie’s Law.
Such a law would require health providers to notify patients – who are waiting for life-saving treatment – of two things right at the start:
1) How long of a wait time they face
2) The maximum recommended wait time for their situation
This would allow patients to know if the government was putting their lives at risk or not.
For example: If a patient was told they needed surgery within a month, but were looking at a two-month wait, then they could consider private options outside the province.
After going public in March 2025 about Debbie’s story, the government floated a draft directive in April. The directive would be sent from the Minister to the Cardiac Sciences Program and would require patients to be informed with the two pieces of information we called for.
Such a directive included no consequences for failing to comply, and it was limited to cardiac care, but it was a step in the right direction and our organization and Debbie’s family applauded the move. We also applauded a bill put forward by the opposition health critic Kathleen Cook. Cook’s bill was more comprehensive as it covered not just heart procedures, but all potential lifesaving treatments (e.g. cancer treatment). It too did not include consequences (private members bills have limitations) but it too was a step in the right direction.
More than anything, it was encouraging to see both parties try to address the tragedy.
Unfortunately, the government responded to our recent Freedom of Information request for a copy of the final directive issued by the Minister by noting on September 22 that the directive was still being drafted. (We had thought it had been sent)
It was a staggering admission.
How is it that a year after Debbie’s passing, nothing has been done?
How long does it take to send what is essentially a memo?
To be blunt, this is not rocket science. If a patient needs lifesaving heart surgery, you tell them the best estimate for their wait time and the maximum recommended wait time for their situation. Those two pieces of information should be readily available.
This issue really boils down to human decency. It’s one thing for the public system to fail families like Debbie’s. It’s another for the system to gamble with patients’ lives and keep them in the dark.
Transparency could help save lives and that’s not an ideological solution.
So why haven’t we seen action?
Hopefully something has been finalized since we received that note in September that nothing had been done. We’re going to follow up – but I’m not holding my breath.
Colin Craig is the president of SecondStreet.org
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