B.C. premier responds to cancer patient who says health-care system is ‘plummeting off a cliff’

A stage four cancer patient has written an open letter to B.C.’s health minister saying the province’s health-care system “isn’t tripping over minor hurdles, it’s plummeting off a cliff.”

Kristin Logan, who has advanced ovarian cancer, says she is raising the alarm because she knows she is not alone in her experiences with B.C.’s health-care system.

The Campbell River woman went public with those experiences, saying it took six months for a September diagnosis and then, weeks later, she was told there was no record of her referral for chemotherapy.

Logan, who has dual Canadian-American citizenship, decided to seek treatment on her own in the United States, which she believes has kept her alive.

“We’re not dealing with ‘occasional misses’; we’re grappling with a chronically diseased system where inefficiency and neglect have become the norm,” wrote Logan in an open letter to Health Minister Adrian Dix.

“I am not the only one whose life has been endangered by systemic problems,” she continued. Logan points to B.C.’s shortage of family doctors, long waits for surgical care, and significant delays in seeing specialists.

“These are not just inconvenient delays; these are life-altering, sometimes life-ending delays that fly far beyond what doctors would consider a reasonable wait.”

In a response to Logan’s letter, Premier David Eby says anyone diagnosed with cancer needs to have confidence they are getting prompt, top-quality care.

“And we are not there,” Eby told reporters Thursday. “We have had to go to the United States and retain a private clinic to deliver cancer care to people. We shouldn’t have to do that, but we took the step to ensure people get care in a timely way.”

“The health minister is doing significant work with the BC Cancer Agency to restructure and reform to ensure they can deliver this care,” Eby continued.

To that end, Eby says B.C. is hiring more radiation technologists and is opening new cancer treatment centres in Kamloops and Nanaimo to cut down on the number of patients who need to travel for care.

For those who live in rural areas, Eby points to more funding for Hope Air, which will allow more people to use the service to fly free of charge to access care in larger centres.

“We know there’s a lot more to do on cancer care — I am not satisfied with the results — but we will deliver that care for people,” he said.

Since going public, Logan says she has been “inundated” with responses from other British Columbians who’ve had similar experiences within the province’s healthcare system.

“Stories of pain, neglect, worsened outcomes, and sadly, unnecessary losses. These aren’t just anecdotes; they’re evidence of a system in crisis,” she wrote.

“We need a ministry that acts proactively by listening when experts sound the alarm about the system not being able to keep up with care.”