BC United, Greens critical of NDP’s health system workarounds

Opposition parties are criticizing B.C.’s NDP government after the health minister announced a plan to send some cancer patients to the U.S. for radiation treatment.

Both BC United and the BC Greens say the move shows our healthcare system is failing.

“I think people are going to be shocked to find out that not only will they receive a cancer diagnosis, but they will likely need a passport in order to get the kind of treatment and care they deserve to have closer to home here in British Columbia,” said Shirley Bond, MLA for Prince George-Valemount and BC United Health Critic.

“The first thing that comes to my really is having been through cancer in my family, the separation from family, from community, from support network, from home adds this huge additional burden and stress to people that are already facing a really difficult and challenging situation,” said BC Green Party Leader Sonia Furstenau.

Read more:

• B.C. to send cancer patients to U.S. for treatment

B.C. Health Minister Adrian Dix announced Monday that starting May 29, eligible breast and prostate cancer patients will be offered radiation therapy at one of two Bellingham clinics.

He says up to 50 patients could be sent to Washington state city each week, all expenses paid, to reduce wait times.

“Many of our regional cancer centres are undergoing – or planning for their linear accelerator replacements. During replacements, the other machines need to run for further extended hours. This fact, coupled with non-standard work hours and shortages of key personnel and radiation oncology puts pressure on our cancer treatment resources,” Dix said.

Michael Carter, a University of Toronto professor who researches healthcare planning and forecasting says B.C. is one of the worst provinces when it comes to wait times for this treatment.

“The Canadian average is like 97 per cent … get their radiation therapy within the recommended four-week guidelines. B.C. is below 90 per cent.”

Carter says Canadians going to the U.S. for healthcare isn’t new. In the past, Ontario has sent cancer patients to New York State.

Dix says the temporary program will be in place for two years as the province addresses staffing challenges, but both opposition parties say more action is needed to address the healthcare crisis.

“These measures that the government is taking are necessary. People need to get treatment, people need to know that there are steps being taken. But until we can have a really honest assessment of what got us here, we’re going to keep getting the same results,” said Furstenau. “We’re addressing the symptoms, not the causes.”

“We have a full-blown health care crisis in British Columbia, and it is time for the government to acknowledge that there that this is a significant issue. It is on their watch and British Columbians deserve so much better than this,” Bond added.