Public Survey: Principles for Culturally Safe Medical Care for Indigenous Patients

In November 2020, Health Minister Adrian Dix released findings from an independent review, led by Mary Ellen Turpel-Lafond, into Indigenous-specific racism in BC’s health-care system. The findings released in this report, titled In Plain Sight, showed the devastating impact Indigenous-specific racism has on the health of Indigenous people in BC.

All physicians and surgeons who practise medicine in the province must be registrants of the College of Physicians and Surgeons of BC (the College). The College’s main responsibility is to protect patients by ensuring physicians and surgeons practise medicine to the highest standards. To fulfil this role, the College is drafting principles for a new Cultural Safety and Humility practice standard to clearly communicate its expectations of physicians and surgeons in providing culturally safe care to Indigenous patients. The College will also be developing a patient resource which will help communicate the key principles to the public.

The College is committed to involving Indigenous people and communities throughout the process of creating this practice standard and patient resource. The College drafted the initial principles for the practice standard with its partners from the First Nations Health Authority and has recently engaged an external Indigenous consultant to guide in-depth discussions on the draft principles with Indigenous patients and physicians.

The College is now seeking feedback on the draft principles from the public. Please review the draft Cultural Safety and Humility principles and share your thoughts by completing this short survey. All members of the public are encouraged to participate in this survey, especially those who identify as Indigenous.

We realize that providing feedback through a survey format might not be best for everyone. Should you wish to share your feedback in an email or over the phone, please email communications@cpsbc.ca.