Nailing down policy platforms in the midst of an election is an elusive endeavour as parties develop existing policies and announce new promises (sometimes on the fly) every day. We’ll do our best to post significant changes as new information becomes available.
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BC NDP aims to reduce patient wait times
On Sept. 23, the BC NDP announced measures they say will free up time for primary care providers and shorten wait time for patients.
From a Sept. 23 BC NDP press release, the recommended changes are as follows:
Expand what pharmacists can test and prescribe for related to common ailments such as strep throat, UTI and renal system testing;
Eliminate need for a doctor’s note for employees taking occasional sick days, improve specialist referral process and move into the new millennium by dropping need for a fax confirmation for medication renewals;
Speed process for obtaining provisional professional licences for doctors, nurses, and midwives trained in Canada to six weeks
Recruit and expand responsibilities for physician assistants.
Background
BC NDP (David Eby)
- Most comments and statements are attributable to Health Minister Adrian Dix
- Focuses on strengthening the public healthcare system by hiring more doctors and building more hospitals[6]
- Claims to have hired 700 more doctors and improved access to family physicians since 2017[6]
- Increased health care spending by 74 per cent since 2017[6]
- Implemented measures to reduce wait times for diagnostic procedures like MRIs[6]
- Premier David Eby proposed a plan for secured involuntary care[14] for people with concurrent addictions, mental health issues and brain damage[7], with the first two sites at Surrey Pretrial Services Centre and Aloette Correctional Centre in Maple Ridge[9]
- Eby announced increased enforcement supports for municipalities to combat public disorder in downtown cores until the secured care could be established[12]
BC Conservative Party (John Rustad)
- Proposes expanding publicly funded partnerships with non-governmental clinics for specific procedures and diagnostic services[2]
- Plans to introduce a “wait-time guarantee” for certain procedures, sending patients outside the province if timely care can’t be provided locally[2]
- Aims to end COVID-19 vaccine requirements for healthcare workers and rehire those who lost their jobs due to vaccine mandates[2][5]
- Supports a universal single-payer healthcare system with delivery through both public and non-governmental facilities[3]
- “Zero-tolerance policy” on illicit drug use in hospitals
- Promises “compassionate intervention” for children with severe addictions [10], funding for increased enforcement activities [3], long-term and medium-term care addictions treatment and recovery, and stabilization units to take the pressure off Emergency Rooms[11]
BC Green Party (Sonia Furstenau)
- Emphasizes the need for investment in mental healthcare services[4]
- Proposes a pilot project to include psychologists in the public healthcare system[4]
- Advocates for provincial regulation of therapists and counsellors[4]
- Supports improving access to reproductive healthcare services throughout the province[8]
- Calling for regulation of the private treatment and recovery sector[13]
Key Differences:
- Private sector involvement: Rustad and BC Conservative Party are more open to private sector involvement in healthcare delivery, while the NDP focuses on strengthening the public system.
- Vaccine mandates: The Conservatives support ending vaccine mandates for healthcare workers, while the NDP has maintained these requirements.
- Mental health focus: The Greens place a strong emphasis on mental healthcare improvements, which is less prominent in other parties’ platforms.
- Approach to healthcare reform: Rustad proposes more significant structural changes, while the NDP emphasizes incremental improvements within the existing system.
Citations:
[1] https://globalnews.ca/video/10590947/launches-health-care-plan
[2] https://vancouversun.com/news/bc-conservatives-health-care-private-clinics
[3] https://www.conservativebc.ca/patients_first
[4] https://www.bcgreens.ca/mental_healthcare
[5] https://vancouver.citynews.ca/2024/07/18/rustad-promises-end-bc-vax-mandates-healthcare-workers/
[6] https://www.theorca.ca/commentary/rob-shaw-bc-ndp-focuses-on-health-care-improvements-as-election-nears-9059107
[7] https://www.theorca.ca/commentary/rob-shaw-bc-ndps-third-try-at-involuntary-care-may-shape-election-stakes-9526085
[8] https://www.bcgreens.ca/improve_access_to_reproductive_healthcare_services
[10] https://northernbeat.ca/opinion/involuntary-treatment-bc-could-learn-from-albertas-trailblazing/
[11] https://twitter.com/Conservative_BC/status/1838261585527345522/photo/1
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