Health Standards Organization and First Nations Health Authority launch public review of first of its kind Cultural Safety and Humility Standard for B.C.

OTTAWA – June 23, 2021. Health Standards Organization (HSO), in partnership with the First Nations Health Authority (FNHA), is pleased to open a public review on its new British Columbia (B.C.) First Nations, Métis and Inuit Cultural Safety and Humility standard (HSO 75000:2022 E Cultural Safety and Humility B.C.).

The draft standard, which is the first ​​​of its kind in Canada, was developed by a First Nations-led Technical Committee in B.C., with additional input from Métis Nation B.C. It aims to create a culturally safe environment for Indigenous people in the health system, encourage health care providers to provide care with humility and end Indigenous-specific racism.

This standard is being developed first in B.C. where impactful work is being done to define, support and integrate cultural safety and humility into healthcare to make it safer, more accessible and better able to address Indigenous-specific racism.

Though this first standard will be specific to B.C., HSO is seeking national feedback. This national consultation will not only provide guidance for the B.C. First Nations, Métis and Inuit Cultural Safety and Humility standard, but also inform the potential need for and content of a National Standard for Canada.

The draft standard will be available for public review and feedback from June 23 to August 23, 2021. The French version of this standard will be available in early July. HSO will incorporate applicable feedback into the final version of the standard with guidance from the Technical Committee overseeing the work.

“This new standard is a fundamental part of our efforts to eradicate systemic racism in the B.C. health system,” said Richard Jock, FNHA’s Chief Executive Officer. “What you can measure as success, you can change.”

“I would like to thank the members of the Cultural Safety and Humility Technical Committee and the support staff from HSO for their commitment and dedication in creating a Cultural Safety and Humility standard for the health system in B.C. All meaningful change comes from within and, in order to say goodbye to your problems, you must first say hello to them,” said Gerry Oleman, Elder, St’at’lmc Nation and Technical Committee Co-Chair.

“The events of the last year have shown us how much work we have to do to ensure healthcare is safe, accessible and culturally appropriate for Indigenous peoples in Canada. HSO is proud to work with FNHA on this B.C. First Nations, Métis and Inuit Cultural Safety and Humility standard, which when followed can help to transform B.C.’s health system with knowledge of cultural safety and humility, making it safer, more accessible and better able to address Indigenous-specific racism. When completed, this new standard can also serve as a guide and model for implementing cultural safety and humility in other Provinces and Territories,” said Leslee Thompson, Chief Executive Officer of HSO.

The final B.C. First Nations, Métis and Inuit Cultural Safety and Humility standard is expected to be released by March 2022.

Participate in the public review and have your say here.

QUICK FACTS:

• Focusing on the implementation of cultural safety and humility in healthcare, this standard is the first of its kind in Canada.
• The development of this standard was driven by a First Nations-led Technical Committee and supported by FNHA, with additional input from Métis Nation B.C.
• The standard aims to counter racism, discrimination and the stigma towards Indigenous peoples, working to make health care systems safer, more accessible and respectful.
• The FNHA is the first and only provincial First Nations health authority in Canada, working to transform and reform the way healthcare is delivered to First Nations in B.C. ​

For more information, please contact publications@healthstandards.org.

For media enquiries at FNHA, please contact media@fnha.ca.

For media enquiries at HSO, please contact danika.grenier@healthstandards.org.​

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