The Pediatric Cardiac Surgery Inquest Report

 

 

Pressure builds for a return to full service

Pressure was continuing to build for a return to full service. Ullyot testified that in either late July or early August, Craig asked McNeill and Ullyot why the program had not returned to full operation. Ullyot said Craig implied that he had been told that she and McNeill were the main obstacles to a return to full service. Ullyot told Craig that the committee had not yet reached any conclusions or even developed a report.

On August 5, Craig wrote to Bowman, the acting head of pediatrics, suggesting that he meet with Blanchard and Craig in late August or early September to discuss the Wiseman Committee's work. Craig wrote:

One issue which has emerged is apparent uncertainty about the program objectives. Specifically, there does not appear to be agreement as to whether the program, when fully operational, should be attempting to provide surgical care for all [underlining in original] patients or whether a small number of very complex surgical problems should continue to be referred out. (Exhibit 19, Document 246)

Before any such meeting was held, it was announced that Dr. Brian Postl would take over the position of head of pediatrics and child health in mid-September. As a result, Blanchard and Craig did not meet with Bowman.

However, shortly after the August 5 memorandum was written, Wiseman prepared and presented his committee's interim report. In correspondence to Craig on August 23, Blanchard stated that the interim report was written "apparently on the repeated insistence of the involved Anaesthetists." (Exhibit 19, Document 248) In fact, the anaesthetists had not been insisting that the committee write a report in late July-they did not believe enough work had been done to justify writing one. However, Ullyot testified that she believed that the report was drafted in response to her and McNeill's opposition to moving on to higher-risk cases before the committee had filed a report.

 

 

Current Home - Table of Contents - Chapter 7 - Pressure builds for a return to full service
Next The August 10 committee meeting
Previous The case of Shalynn Piller - Findings
Section 1 Chapter 1 - Introduction to the Issues
  Chapter 2 - Pediatric Cardiac Issues
  Chapter 3 - The Diagnosis of Pediatric Heart Defects and their Surgical Treatment
  Chapter 4 - The Health Sciences Centre
Section 2 Chapter 5 - Pediatric Cardiac Surgery in Winnipeg 1950-1993
  Chapter 6 - The Restart of Pediatric Cardiac Surgery in 1994
January 1, 1994 to May 17, 1994
  Chapter 7 - The Slowdown
May 17 to September 1994
  Chapter 8 - Events Leading to the Suspension of the Program
September 7, 1994 to December 23, 1994
  Chapter 9 - 1995 - The Aftermath of the Shutdown
January to March, 1995
Section 3 Chapter 10 - Findings and Recommendations
Appendix 1 - Glossary of terms used in this report
Appendix 2 - Parties to the Proceedings and counsel
Appendix 3 - List of witnesses and dates of testimony
Diagrams
Tables
Table of Contents
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