On September 4, 2020, the Provincial Government announced that CancerCare outpatient services will be cut at the Concordia Hospital and Seven Oaks General Hospital, effective December 2020.

• Closing two CancerCare sites in Winnipeg will mean a third of existing sites are lost, with increased burdens placed on outpatient cancer services at the Health Sciences Centre and Saint Boniface Hospital.
• The cut of these outpatient services has provoked concerns from healthcare workers and CancerCare nurses alike, who have stressed to the Provincial Government that the cut is “contrary to what CCMB’s goals of patient care are and would most certainly increase the burden for the people [they] are trying to help.”
• CancerCare nurses have also noted that “this decision has more to do with saving money rather than what is in the best interest of patients.” This is further highlighted by a 2019 consulting contract bid which shows that this cut has been made purely in the interest of “fiscal performance,” and will not improve the quality of patient care.
• Patients who do not have access to a vehicle or reliable transportation will be hit the hardest by this cut, with the burden falling largely on seniors and Manitobans on low incomes.
• Cuts within the Winnipeg Regional Health Authority, including the Provincial Government’s closure of the Concordia Emergency Room and Seven Oaks Emergency Room, have already compromised healthcare access close to home for residents of northeast and northwest Winnipeg.
• The deterioration of healthcare within the Winnipeg Regional Health Authority has meant increased wait times, compromised patient care, and worsened health outcomes. This cut will only continue to deteriorate the quality of care for patients, while forcing more demands onto healthcare workers.

We urge the Provincial Government to halt its proposed closure of CancerCare sites at the Concordia Hospital and Seven Oaks General Hospital, while guaranteeing access to high-quality outpatient cancer services in northeast and northwest Winnipeg.

This petition is sponsored jointly by the Protect Healthcare in Seven Oaks and Protect Health Care in Northeast Winnipeg coalitions, along with with the support of Matt Wiebe, MLA for Concordia, who will be sponsoring the same petition to the Manitoba Legislature.