‘Serious concerns’ raised by physicians about leadership, workloads at CancerCare Manitoba

Posted on September 25, 2024 by Peggy

A lack of trust and a fear of reprisal from leadership for raising concerns is among several issues raised by physicians at CancerCare Manitoba, according to a letter obtained by CBC News.

“We have been contacted by a number of physicians raising serious concerns,” stated the letter from Doctors Manitoba, which was sent on Sept. 20 to all members who provide medical services at the cancer agency in Winnipeg.

“Many are concerned these issues have caused significant burnout and distress and are creating significant challenges with physician recruitment and retention. Some are also concerned about how these issues are affecting patient care, noting that wait times have been climbing in some areas as resources have not kept pace with growing patient demands.”

A spokesperson for the physician advocacy group told CBC in an email that the letter was prompted by “a cluster of concerns” and aims to get a better understanding of the issues and how widespread they are.

Physicians at CancerCare are being invited to contact Doctors Manitoba, confidentially if desired, to share their experiences and concerns, or to simply reach out for support.

The letter, signed by Doctors Manitoba director Ian Foster and medical lead for physician health and wellness Dr. Shelley Anderson, lists the following issues as being among the ones it has heard about so far:

Increasing and excessive workload demands due to inability to retain physicians, and increasing complexity of patients.
Lack of engagement and communication from CancerCare.
A lack of trust and a fear of reprisal from leadership for raising concerns.
Dissatisfaction with the workplace culture and support.
Individual contracts including recognition and remuneration for extra work.

“We are at the very early, diagnostic stage of understanding the problem and how widespread the concerns are,” the spokesperson said in the email to CBC News.

Representatives from Doctors Manitoba met with senior leadership at CancerCare on Monday “and we look forward to productive dialogue continuing,” the spokesperson said.

CBC has reached out to CancerCare Manitoba for comment but has not yet had a response.

The Doctors Manitoba spokesperson said it is not uncommon for the organization to send out letters broadly to its members when it receives a concerning number of complaints.

“We have been doing this type of work more and more in recent years across Manitoba, which is perhaps not a surprise when our annual physician survey finds only a third of physicians feel they can raise concerns in the health system without fear of reprisal,” the spokesperson said.

“We hope to see a change in the culture broadly in health care, one that prioritizes front line feedback and embraces physician engagement on a regular and ongoing basis.”