PCs Introduce “Debbie’s Law” as Common-Sense Step Toward Healthcare Transparency
WINNIPEG — Roblin MLA Kathleen Cook, PC Critic for Health, introduced a powerful new private member’s bill today to close critical accountability gaps in Manitoba’s healthcare system.
Bill 226, The Health System Governance and Accountability Amendment Act (Reporting When Timely Care Not Available), or Debbie’s Law, will require health authorities to notify patients when life-saving care cannot be provided within the medically recommended timeframe, offer patients information about out-of-province care when waits in Manitoba are too long, and publicly report patient deaths linked to delays in life-saving treatment.
“This is common-sense healthcare reform,” said Cook. “Debbie’s Law puts patients first by making sure they know when care is delayed, offers them alternatives when care will take too long at home, and shines a light on the consequences of delayed care. It’s about transparency, honesty, and doing right by Manitoba families who deserve better.”
Key provisions of the bill include:
- written notification to patients when care for a serious condition cannot be delivered within the medically recommended timeframe;
- providing patients information about out-of-province care when timely treatment is unavailable in Manitoba;
- mandatory reporting of all deaths linked to care delays for serious medical conditions; and
- an annual public report, tabled by the Minister of Health in the Legislature.
“The system is failing some of our most vulnerable citizens,” Cook added. “This bill helps fix that by ensuring no one is left in the dark—and by holding our healthcare system accountable to the people it serves.”
The bill is named in memory of Debbie Fewster, a Manitoban who tragically passed away in 2024 while awaiting urgent medical care. Her case revealed how families are often left in the dark when the healthcare system cannot deliver timely treatment—and how those failures go unreported. Bill 226 was drafted in consultation with her family.
The bill will be brought forward for debate in the Manitoba Legislature on Thursday. The Progressive Conservative Caucus is calling on all parties to do the right thing for Manitoba patients and unanimously support this legislation.
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For media inquiries, please contact PCCaucus_Media@leg.gov.mb.ca