News Release

2003-99
December 10, 2003
For immediate release

Federal/Provincial/Territorial Ministers of Health establish new Canadian Patient Safety Institute

OTTAWA - The Honourable Anne McLellan, Federal Minister of Health, and the Honourable Colin Hansen, British Columbia Minister of Health Services, on behalf of provincial and territorial Ministers of Health, are pleased to announce the establishment of the Canadian Patient Safety Institute (CPSI) and congratulate the Institute's Founding Board of Directors on their role of implementing the new Institute.

"It is our hope that the Canadian Patient Safety Institute will reduce the risk of system errors and ensure that patients receive the best possible care. By establishing this Institute, we have joined the ranks of other countries, such as Australia and the United Kingdom, in advancing the issue of patient safety," said Minister McLellan.

The Institute will provide leadership and co-ordination in building a culture of patient safety and quality improvement throughout the Canadian health care system. As a not-for-profit corporation that is at arm's length from government, it will promote best practices, raise awareness and provide advice on effective strategies to improve patient safety. The Institute will rely on national networks and expertise, supported by a secretariat located in Edmonton, Alberta.

"British Columbia already has measures in place to improve patient safety, including a recently appointed Patient Safety Taskforce, but we need to do more," said Federal/Provincial/Territorial co-chair Colin Hansen, B.C. Minister of Health Services. "A single medical error is one too many. The establishment of CPSI will help reduce adverse events in Canadian hospitals by promoting pragmatic ways of improving patient safety. By working together we have the opportunity to move from a culture of blame to a culture of learning."

"People in this country need confidence in the quality of their care. Through the Canadian Patient Safety Institute, all jurisdictions, administrators, care providers and stakeholders will work to assure the safety of every person using the health system," said Gary Mar, Minister of Alberta Health and Wellness. "Alberta is pleased to be the home of this national institute. It recognizes Alberta's work to encourage discussion, raise awareness of quality of care, and our commitment provincially and nationally to improve patient safety."

The Ministers of Health acknowledged the work of the National Steering Committee on Patient Safety ( NSCPS) which released the September 2002 report "Building A Safer System: A National Integrated Strategy for Improving Patient Safety in Canadian Health Care." The key recommendation of this report was the creation of an Institute designed to foster collaboration in improving patient safety across the health care system. Since that time, a strong partnership between governments and stakeholders has led to the development of the Institute.

"On behalf of the original NSCPS, I want to say how pleased we are that governments have acted on our key recommendation to establish a Canadian Patient Safety Institute," said Dr. John Wade, who chaired the national steering committee and is now a member of the new Institute's Founding Board of Directors.

The Government of Canada announced funding of $10 million annually in the 2003 Federal Budget to support national patient safety initiatives, such as the CPSI. In September 2003, Ministers of Health unanimously supported the establishment of the Institute by the end of 2003.

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Media Inquiries:
Jirina Vlk
Health Canada
(613) 957-2988

Farah Mohamed
Office of Anne McLellan
Minister of Health
(613) 957-1694

Public Inquiries:
(613) 957-2991

For more information on the Canadian Patient Safety Institute:
http://www.hc-sc.gc.ca/hcs-sss/qual/patient_securit/cpsi-icsp/index_e.html

Biographical Notes of Founding Board Members:
http://www.hc-sc.gc.ca/hcs-sss/qual/patient_securit/cpsi-icsp/index_e.html