Complaints to Sask. ombudsman increased 11% in 2024: report

The number of complaints to Saskatchewan's ombudsman rose 11 per cent in 2024, with major increases in complaints against the Ministries of Corrections and Social Services.

The numbers are from the ombudsman's annual report, released Thursday. In total, there were 4,046 complaints from the public in 2024, up 407 from the year before. Complaints to the Ministry of Social Services and the Ministry of Correction, Policing and Public Safety were nearly 40 per cent of the total.

The provincial ombudsman is an office within the Saskatchewan government that deals with complaints from residents who feel they've been treated unfairly by a provincial or municipal service. It also receives disclosures from public servants accusing the government of wrongdoing.

"We're really fortunate in Saskatchewan that we have very responsive public entities when our office calls," said Sharon Pratchler, Saskatchewan's ombudsman. "What we're trying to really emphasize is fair decision making by statutory decision makers."

According to the report, 98 per cent of cases were closed within six months.

Lack of trauma-informed communications by the SHA

One of the complaints made to the ombudsman involved a Saskatchewan man who had to undergo an additional lung surgery because the surgeon left a piece of equipment in his body during the first procedure. 

A significant portion of his lung was removed in the second surgery, after which he struggled to manage his health.

A critical indecent review was conducted by the Saskatchewan Health Authority, but the patient was never asked for his input. He also wasn't initially told the outcome of the investigation, despite asking about it. 

He finally got more information more than a year after the second surgery, but by then had "lost trust" with the SHA, the report said. He later died.

After a complaint made by the man's family, the ombudsman determined that the SHA failed to adequately communicate with the patient according to its policies, and did not practice trauma-informed care. It also failed to report the incident to the Ministry of Health within the required 60 days, or complete the review in time.

As a result of its investigation, the ombudsman instructed the SHA to apologize to the family, update its work standard for critical incident reviews and disclosures to better embed the principles of family centred and trauma-informed care, and develop a new mechanism to ensure timely reporting to the government.

In a statement, the SHA said it had apologized to the family and is committed to meeting the ombudsman's recommendations. 

"The SHA is focused on reporting critical incidents in adherence to the Critical Incident Legislation and Regulations while continuously enhancing processes and improving overall performance," SHA spokesperson Doug Dahl said.

As of January 2024, a new standardized SHA Critical Incident Management process using evidence-based best practice was implemented. This includes obtaining patient/resident/client/family perspectives through the review process.

Growth in corrections complaints

The number of complaints made about the Ministry of Corrections grew by nearly 30 per cent in 2024 and made up the second largest portion overall.

The largest increase came from complaints related to the Pine Grove Correctional Centre, a women's jail just outside of Prince Albert. In 2024, 197 complaints were made to the ombudsman about the facility, an increase of 129 per cent.

In July 2024, the Elizabeth Fry Society of Saskatchewan reported that the jail was significantly overcrowded. The provincial government confirmed that month that there were 263 female inmates at the facility, well over its designated maximum of 166 inmates.

Pine Grove is now under systemic review by the ombudsman, who has been soliciting public feedback on the conditions there.

"What we wanted to hear was the voices of people who had experienced the conditions in Pine Grove, but also to hear generally from families or anybody else who wanted to talk to us," Pratchler said.

"One of the messages that we sent out was we see you, we hear you, what you say matters."

"We're certainly aware of some of the capacity pressures at that particular institution," said Saskatchewan Corrections Minister Tim McLeod. "I myself have had conversations with the ombudsman about some of the feedback that she's getting about that."

In the report, the ombudsman highlighted some other cases her office helped resolve. It collaborated with the Ministry of Social Services to help two low income seniors share a social housing unit after initially being denied, and helped reimburse a woman on Saskatchewan's Assured Income for Disability who had been made to pay for prescribed supplements for her disabled daughter.

The office also helped secure a tax reimbursement of over $4,440 for a man who had been mistakenly charged tax on his truck bought in Alberta, and worked with SaskEnergy to repay a homeowner who had submitted the wrong email address when he signed up for their Tune-Up Assistance Program.

People can contact the ombudsman in the following ways:

• Call dedicated lines at 1-844-608-1180 (toll-free) or 306-787-4236, available from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. CST Monday to Friday, plus Friday evenings and Saturday.

• Go to ombudsman.sk.ca.

• Write a letter to the ombudsman at 500–2103 11th Avenue, Regina, SK, S4P 3Z8.

• Request an in-person meeting with the ombudsman or a member of her team, who will travel to communities, including northern communities.