Government of Saskatchewan's Lean contract comes to an end
$33-million project became favourite target of opposition
The Saskatchewan government's controversial Lean contract with consultant John Black ended on Tuesday.
Black was brought in to make the health care system more efficient.
The project cost $33 million.
Health Minister Dustin Duncan said the government will have to learn important lessons from Lean.
"We need to be vigilant about ensuring that the lessons we do learn are applied into the future," Duncan said. "That will ensure that this will have been ultimately a worthwhile exercise for us to go through."
Although Black's contract is expiring, Lean initiatives are very much alive.
More than 200 staff are certified as "Lean Leaders."
The government asserts that efficiencies through Lean have saved the province $125 million since 2008.
However, NDP Leader Cam Broten said the health regions will have to pay the price for this budget-trimming measure.
"The whole John Black approach to Lean, which is the problem here, is carrying on and is being implemented," Broten said. "So it's about cost now being picked up by health regions and carrying on the work."