Winnipeg, MB—An employee engagement survey shows 68% of WRHA health care workers believe staffing levels are not sufficient enough to properly care for patients. The same survey shows 65% of staff are do not agree senior leadership within the WRHA provides effective leadership.

“For three years health care workers have been disrespected by the Pallister government. They’re overworked, stressed out and worried about their patients’ quality of care,” said NDP Leader Wab Kinew. “Pallister’s cuts and closures are bad for morale and they put patients at risk. We are committed to fixing the system, repairing the damage he’s caused and making sure families can get the care they need when they need it.”

The survey was conducted between October and November of 2018 in the middle of nursing shortages, massive spikes in overtime and chaos in the health care system. It makes comparisons to the last engagement survey, published in 2016. It was obtained by the NDP through freedom of information requests.

The survey shows a sharp decline in the morale of health care workers in their work experience and the WRHA as an organization. It found that: 

• 73% of employees do not agree the WRHA is a “better” organization that it was 12 months previously;
• 67% of employees are not excited about the Pallister government’s Healing our Health Care Plan and the corresponding changes to the WRHA as an organization;
• 64% of employees do not agree the pace of the Government’s changes are “comfortable”;
• 69% do not agree that senior leadership makes them “excited about the future” of the WRHA;
• 60% do not believe the WRHA fares well in “change readiness and effectiveness”.

The survey notes the largest declines in employee experience are directly related to productivity, pay and perceptions about senior leadership’s effectiveness. It attributes an 11% decline in survey participation as the result of “significant disruption occurring across the region”.