BC NDP scores high on health care report card by College of Physicians
Posted October 20, 2020 9:19 pm.
Last Updated October 21, 2020 1:42 am.
VANCOUVER (NEWS 1130) — The BC NDP scored highest on a report card comparing party platforms on making health care a priority.
The BC College of Family Physicians suggests that if you are one of the nearly 700,000 people in the province who don’t have a family doctor, the BC NDP is the best choice for improving access to primary care.
College President Dr. Jeanette Boyd says the New Democrats scored 33.5 out of a possible 40 points with the Greens garnering 28 and the Liberals 24.
“The main difference between the NDP and the other parties was their strongly laid out pandemic plan,” she says.
“The NDP has a good approach to addressing the pandemic in the short term. None of the parties were really about to be looking long-term.”
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While the NDP has the best short-term approach for managing the pandemic, the Greens rate half a point better on access to primary care.
“To allow family physicians to work within well-supported teams –in addition to the family doctor– knowing that they can also get their mental health needs taken care of. Their chronic disease needs taken care of, cancer screening –while still having that doctor-patient relationship as the core.”
A review of party platforms for addressing the overdose crisis had the NDP and Greens tied at ten points each with the Liberals scoring only six out of ten.
While all parties emphasize access to primary care within their platforms, Boyd explains it’s critical to know how primary care is delivered.
“The differences in terms of high quality primary care is when people have the opportunity and have access to see a family physician, and to get comprehensive with longitudinal care. Care that occurs over time, with someone who gets to know you well and who has that level of skill and training to really get to know you as a person.”
