Statement: BC cannot wait to act on health care

The Council of the Federation, the association of Canada's premiers, is meeting in Victoria, BC on July 11-12 where a top priority is to advocate for increased federal health care funding. 

The Doctors of BC message to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and the council is clear: The health care system in BC is in crisis – our patients are suffering, and our physicians are burning out. Physicians are devastated that we cannot provide the care our patients need. 

The time for action is now. The federal government must increase its share of health care spending, which has declined substantially over the last decades.

However, we also issue a clear message to BC Premier John Horgan. BC cannot wait for increased federal transfer funds to address the challenges in our health care system. Nearly one million British Columbians do not have a family doctor. Not only are our clinics closing, but our emergency rooms are shutting down too, with patients facing staggering wait times in those that are open. Additionally, patients waiting for cancer surgery and other medical procedures are facing delays that can mean the difference between life and death.

The provincial government must act immediately to address BC’s collapsing health care system. It cannot wait one moment longer. Patients’ lives depend on it.