What health-care promises have B.C. parties made ahead of the provincial election?
B.C.'s provincial parties are sharing their priorities for health care ahead of the Oct. 24 election, with promises ranging from more recruitment, to accelerated training for international graduates, to new health centres.
Parties outline health-care priorities from more recruitment to accelerated training and new clinics
Baneet Braich · CBC News
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B.C.'s provincial parties are sharing their priorities for health care ahead of the Oct. 24 election, with promises ranging from more recruitment and accelerated training to new health centres.
Several changes have been introduced to tackle B.C.’s health-care challenges in recent years, including a new family doctor payment model as an alternative to the older fee-for-service system, and a streamlined process for internationally trained physicians to work in the province.
The B.C. NDP also launched the Health Connect Registry, an online portal linking patients to care providers, and expanded pharmacists’ ability to treat minor ailments and prescribe contraceptives.
The party says it’s attached 700,000 more people to a family doctor or nurse practitioner in the last three years.
But challenges remain as staffing shortages force regular ER closures in some communities and more than 1.2 million British Columbians remain without a family doctor.
So what are some changes parties are proposing for health care this provincial election?
B.C. Conservatives
The B.C. Conservatives say they are standing firm on keeping B.C.'s system universal and publicly funded, despite the NDP warning the Conservatives will move towards health-care privatization.
"I want a fully public system that everyone in this province can access, said leader Lorne Doerkson at the leaders’ debate on Wednesday.
The party says within its first 100 days, it will launch an expert commission to bring proven solutions from other public systems to B.C.
B.C. Conservative Leader Lorne Doerkson says he supports a public health-care system and is focused on hiring and retaining more doctors. (Nav Rahi/CBC)
On Thursday, the party pledged a new women and children’s hospital in Surrey, so families no longer have to travel to Vancouver for care.
It's also vowing to keep emergency rooms open, hire and retain more doctors and nurses, and speed up international credential recognition for Canadians who studied abroad.
The party says it will support rural medical practices at risk of closing, and invest $50 million into what it is calling an emergency fund.
"We will protect health care funding, recruit and retain more doctors and nurses, and cut wait times. Your health card will always be all you need," the party said in a statement.
B.C. NDP
B.C. NDP Leader David Eby said he is committed to public health care and has echoed the shortage of health-care workers as a major challenge.
"We’ve got to recruit more doctors. That’s why we are tripling our recruitment of American health-care workers," Eby said at the leaders' debate, noting 800 U.S. workers have been hired so far.
The party said it will launch an accelerated training program for international medical graduates already living in B.C. and add 1,000 more training seats for nurses, nurse practitioners, allied health workers and care aides, including a 20 per cent increase in nursing seats.
B.C. NDP Leader David Eby's priorities include tripling the recruitment of U.S. health-care workers and creating regional surgical waitlists. (Nav Rahi/CBC)
The party is proposing new regional waitlists that offer patients the earliest surgery date possible in their region or, if they prefer, to still choose a specific surgeon or hospital.
Currently, surgery wait times can depend on the surgeon patients are referred to, the NDP said.
Promises also include eight new MRI machines and 10 CT scanners, 20 additional team-based primary care clinics, and the opening of Canada’s first perinatal mental health unit at B.C. Women’s Hospital.
"We will pay for these actions by asking the top four per cent of earners in B.C. to pitch in a little bit more. Ninety-six per cent of people will see no change in their taxes," the party said.
B.C. Greens
The B.C. Green Party is pledging funding that establishes community health centres in every riding in the province.
"That would mean you could walk into your neighbourhood and you would have access to a physician, a nurse practitioner and imaging all under the same roof," said leader Emily Lowan at the leaders' debate.
B.C. Green Party Leader Emily Lowan has pledged funding for community health centres in every riding. (Nav Rahi/CBC)
The party’s platform online also includes increased funding for nurses in the public system to support safe nurse-to-patient ratios and end reliance on private agency nurses.
It also wants to centralize referrals for surgeries, and non-surgical and pre-surgical care rather than using distributed lists.
CentreBC
CentreBC has set a goal of providing a family doctor or nurse practitioner to anyone wanting one by the end of 2031.
Leader Elenore Sturko’s promises include 600 more nurse practitioner positions by 2030 and 100 more medical residency spots by the same year.
"A family doctor or nurse practitioner team for everyone who wants one, shorter waits that people can see for themselves, treatment for mental health and addiction when people ask for it. We are committed to public health care, not private pay," the party said in a statement to CBC News.
CentreBC Leader Elenore Sturko's promises include adding more nurse practitioners and doubling B.C.’s assessment program for internationally trained family doctors, (Ben Nelms/CBC)
The party wants to increase the assessment program for internationally trained family doctors, from 96 to 200 positions a year by 2028.
To help keep emergency rooms open, CentreBC is pitching an ER Accountability Act to cut unplanned closures in half by 2029/30 while allocating $25 million a year to stabilize rural ERs.
Pledges also include the creation of a single public health dashboard showing surgeries, scans, specialists and ER statuses by hospital and region, five more MRI machines, and a new children’s hospital for Surrey and Langley with construction starting in 2031.
OneBC
OneBC is currently the only party platform listing support for private health care alongside fully-funded public health care.
The party wants to shift administration and HR spending to front-line employees.
It wants to repeal the Health Professions and Occupations Act (HPOA), which regulates health professions in B.C.
Q&A
OneBC's Dallas Brodie aims to balance budget, repeal SOGI and unite the right in Oct. 24 election
OneBC says it would support private health care alongside fully-funded public health care. Leader Dallas Brodie is pictured. (Mike Zimmer/CBC)
OneBC says it also wants to adopt the findings of the Allison Inquiry into COVID-19 vaccine injuries to help shape B.C.’s vaccine protocols.
The inquiry, held in September by Conservative MP Dean Allison, did not hear from Health Canada and was unsanctioned by the federal government.
The inquiry's website says, "it will not make findings of fact or reach conclusions. The focus is to listen to Canadians."
Voters can have their say on health care in B.C. on Oct. 24.
- What’s one issue you’d like to hear more about from the parties before election day? Click "Join the Conversation" below. On the app? Tap here.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Baneet Braich is a journalist with CBC News based in B.C.'s Fraser Valley. Connect with her at baneet.braich@cbc.ca or on Twitter at @Baneet_Braich.
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