October 27 to 31, 2014 is Canadian Patient Safety Week and, as the Minister of Health, I would like to encourage all Canadians to get involved and help improve patient safety.
Every day in Canada, far too many people are harmed from adverse patient safety incidents. Harm to patients is all the more difficult to bear knowing that many of these events could have been prevented.
That's what makes this year's theme - Ask, Listen, Talk - so important. We know that it takes a team approach, including governments, healthcare professionals and patients, to make the vital improvements needed to protect and promote patient safety throughout the healthcare system. No one group can do it alone and we need to learn from each other and share our best practices and knowledge.
Patient safety isn't just for scientists and hospital administrators - often simple measures like proper hand hygiene can make a huge difference. We can all do our share.
Since its founding in 2003, the Canadian Patient Safety Institute has been advancing projects to reduce patient safety gaps throughout our healthcare system. I am proud that Health Canada's latest funding contribution of $38 million in 2013 will ensure that this work continues.
Our government's commitment to patient safety also extends into legislation. In December 2013, we introduced Vanessa's Law, which will help to ensure that unsafe medications do not remain on the market and that adverse reactions to medications are more extensively reported. We are hopeful that this new law will soon be passed.
For more information on Patient Safety Week, along with tools and ideas for how you can get involved, visit the Canadian Patient Safety Institute.
Sincerely,
The Honourable Rona Ambrose
Minister of Health
