OCOL - Ottawa, July 12, 2007

Ottawa, July 12, 2007

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Commissioner of Official Languages Releases Health Care Audit of Four Federal Institutions

The Commissioner of Official Languages, Graham Fraser, calls upon the federal government to provide health services in the official language of choice of patients in its care. He made this appeal today following the release of an audit that examines the extent to which four institutions—Health Canada, Veterans Affairs Canada, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) and Correctional Service Canada—comply with the Official Languages Act when they are required to provide health care directly to certain groups or communities.

“Our audit shows that the federal government must do more to ensure that it provides health services in the official language of choice of its clients, such as veterans, Aboriginal Canadians, inmates and RCMP cadets,” said the Commissioner. “While it is difficult to find bilingual health care workers due to an overall shortage, this should not overshadow people’s right to receive health services in their language of choice.”

In order to help the institutions improve direct health care services in their clientele's language of choice, the Commissioner issued 30 recommendations, which address inconsistencies in service that are unique to each institution.

Please consult the audit report, the recommendations and backgrounders for more information.

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For more information or to arrange an interview, please contact:

Robin Cantin
Manager, Media Relations
Office of the Commissioner of Official Languages
Telephone: 613-995-0374
Cellular: 613-324-0999
Toll-free: 1-877-996-6368
E-mail: robin.cantin@ocol-clo.gc.ca

RECOMMENDATIONS

Correctional Service Canada

That CSC review its procedures for admitting offenders in the Regional Reception Centres and other institutions performing this function, in order to provide this service in both official languages, in accordance with the Official Languages Act and the Regulations.
That CSC ensure its bilingual institutions fully comply with the requirements of section 28 of the Official Languages Act concerning active offer in person, on the telephone and on voice mail.
That CSC indicate offenders’ preferred official language in their medical records in order to ensure better health care services in their language of choice.
That CSC develop and implement a strategy for recruiting more bilingual health care professionals for institutions in Quebec and New Brunswick.
That CSC raise the linguistic designation of bilingual health professional positions, especially for oral interaction, for institutions in Quebec and New Brunswick.
That CSC verify whether the incumbents of bilingual health professional positions in institutions in Quebec and New Brunswick, whose language requirements have been raised, meet these new requirements. In cases where the incumbents do not meet these new requirements, the Department must take measures to ensure equal health care in both official languages at all times.
That CSC include a reference to complaints concerning official languages in its directive on offender complaints and grievances.
That CSC implement a monitoring mechanism to ensure compliance with its linguistic obligations in relation to health care services.
That CSC review its contractual agreements with health professionals to include an appropriate language clause in order to ensure health services in both official languages to the offenders in bilingual institutions.
That CSC ensure health professionals hired on contract at its bilingual institutions have the required language skills.
That CSC implement a monitoring mechanism to ensure the quality of services delivered in both official languages by contract health professionals at its bilingual institutions.

Health Canada

That Health Canada ensure its designated bilingual offices fully comply with the requirements of section 28 of the Official Languages Act concerning active offer in person, on the telephone and on voice mail.
That Health Canada raise the linguistic profile of nursing positions for oral interaction and of non-insured health benefits eligibility officers who have an asymmetrical profile and review the number of bilingual positions required in these two job categories in the Quebec region.
That Health Canada verify whether the incumbents of nursing positions and non-insured health benefits eligibility officer positions, whose linguistic profiles have been raised, meet these new requirements. In cases where the incumbents do not meet these new requirements, the Department must take measures to ensure equal health care in both official languages at all times.
That Health Canada implement a monitoring mechanism to ensure compliance with its linguistic obligations in relation to the provision of health care services in Quebec.
That Health Canada ensure health professionals hired on contract in Quebec have the required language skills.
That Health Canada implement a monitoring mechanism to ensure the quality of services provided in both official languages by health professionals hired on contract in Quebec.

Royal Canadian Mounted Police

That the RCMP take measures to distribute its official language policies and directives with regard to service to the public in both official languages to the manager and staff members of the Medical Treatment Centre at the Depot Division in Regina.
That the RCMP ensure staff members at the Medical Treatment Centre fully comply with the requirements of section 28 of the Official Languages Act concerning active offer in person, on the telephone and on voice mail.
That the RCMP indicate the preferred official language of cadets in their medical records.
That the RCMP take the necessary measures to ensure that the psychological tests administered to cadets by the Regina Medical Treatment Centre are in the cadets’ official language of choice.
That the RCMP implement a monitoring mechanism to ensure that the Regina Medical Treatment Centre provides effective health care in both official languages.
That the RCMP include a language clause in all of the Regina Medical Treatment Centre’s service contracts with health professionals and create a bilingual human resources bank for the health field in order to ensure that the language rights of the Centre’s patients are respected at all times.

Veterans Affairs Canada

That VAC display signage for active offer in all reception areas of Sainte-Anne Hospital informing patients of the availability of services in both official languages.
That VAC raise the linguistic profile for oral interaction for bilingual orderly positions and various bilingual nursing positions at Sainte-Anne Hospital.
That VAC verify whether the incumbents of bilingual orderly positions and various bilingual nursing positions at Sainte-Anne Hospital, whose language requirements have been raised, meet these new requirements. In cases where the incumbents do not meet these new requirements, the Department must take measures to ensure equal health care in both official languages at all times.
That VAC implement a monitoring mechanism to ensure compliance with its linguistic obligations in relation to the provision of health care services at Sainte-Anne Hospital.
That VAC ensure health professionals hired on contract by Sainte-Anne Hospital have the required language skills.
That VAC implement a monitoring mechanism to ensure the quality of services provided in both official languages by health professionals hired on contract at Sainte-Anne Hospital.
That VAC review its 12 operating agreements with provincial health services and health institutions signed prior to 1993 to determine whether, when they are renewed, they should include a language clause in accordance with the obligations set out in section 25 of the Official Languages Act and paragraph 6(1)(a) of the Regulations.