Although the provincial budget includes moving ahead with Royal Columbian Hospital's upgrade, it fails the health-care system in other ways, according to NDP health critic Judy Darcy.
Last week, B.C. Finance Minister Mike de Jong announced a balanced budget, including a 2.7 per cent annual increase over the next three years for provincial health care. It includes moving ahead with the business phase of the hospital's redevelopment.
"The good news is the Royal Columbian Hospital development is going ahead and they're proceeding with a business plan," Darcy, New Westminster MLA, told The Record. "They don't have a schedule, and I would love to see more detail and tighter timelines."
Overall, Darcy said the provincial budget does not address her concerns with the B.C. health-care system.
"I think it's pretty disappointing from a health perspective," Darcy said. "I'm also concerned we have, at Fraser Health, an epidemic of hallway medicine. Epidemic, I think, is the right word for it."
Darcy said the budget does not address hallway issues, or key recommendations made by B.C.'s ombudsperson to improve seniors' care.
"They say they're balancing the budget, but they're doing it by making someone else pay - either through municipal governments or through MSP premiums," she said. "Hallway medicine and the lack of investment in continuous proper cleaning are conditions for some of those super bugs to thrive. The health authorities said that themselves."
A closer look at the province's surplus budget doesn't provide much hope for the future of Burnaby Hospital, as well, according to Darcy. She said the long-awaited update to the status of a Burnaby Hospital upgrade does not appear in the service plan.
"That's very, very concerning," she said. "This was promised in the last election and it's very, very badly needed."
Burnaby Hospital's overcrowding issues and past infection issues will continue to flourish if funding isn't put in place, Darcy said.
"There's millions already there for this," she added. "The significant redevelopment promise during the election does not appear in the budget document, and does not appear in the service plan."
The Hospital Employees' Union spokesperson also says the budget is putting off critical investments "that will generate better health outcomes and cost savings in the future."
"At is stands, there is a workload crisis in long-term care that has produced some of the most dangerous working conditions in the province in terms of injuries," said Bonnie Pearson in a media release. "Clearly we need to invest in residential care and community health services now to take pressure off our hospitals over the long term."
According to the union, since 2001 B.C. has fallen from second to ninth place among Canadian provinces in per capita support for health care.
Over the next three years, health authorities and front-line health-care workers will have a difficult time meeting demand, according to Pearson, including critically needed improvements to seniors' care and mental health services.
Pearson said the government will not be able to meet its own staffing level targets in residential care facilities.
"This budget is a recipe for more hallway medicine," she said.
