Important Notice re: Resumption of Canada Post services for non-urgent items only

Manitoba’s health system continues to monitor the ongoing Canada Post labour situation.

On Thursday, Oct. 9, the Canadian Union of Postal Workers (CUPW) announced plans to move from a nationwide strike to rotating strikes effective Saturday, Oct. 11.

While we assess how this impacts service in Manitoba, effective Wednesday, Oct. 15, the provincial health system will resume using Canada Post for non-urgent items only.

Clinics and service areas may resume the use of Canada Post for distribution of patient appointment letters and pre-appointment information that is NOT considered to be urgent or time sensitive.

Staff sending packages and supplies to patients and urgent appointment letters will continue to use previously determined contingency plans.

Patients with upcoming clinic appointments at Health Sciences Centre in Winnipeg may continue to receive their appointment confirmation by text message. The text messages, which will originate from a Manitoba 431 phone number, will not include patient information and will only identify the facility, date and time of the scheduled appointment. Messages will include the clinic phone number in the event patients wish to confirm their appointment by phone.

Patients will never be asked to disclose financial information over the phone or via email. Do not engage with anyone who says they require financial information before a health appointment. If patients have questions about the legitimacy of a call, they are encouraged to contact their clinic or care provider directly.

We anticipate clinics will continue to experience a higher-than-normal volume of calls and appreciate your patience during this time.

For more information about health system operations during a Canada Post labour disruption, please visit: Canada Post Service Disruption Information – Shared Health. We also encourage the public to follow Shared Health’s social media channels for program-specific updates and information.