B.C. premier says reducing ‘unacceptable’ cancer treatment wait times a priority in the new year

B.C. Premier David Eby says he is setting his sights in the new year on bringing down cancer treatment wait times, calling them “unacceptable.”

While B.C.’s wait times are lagging compared to the rest of Canada, Eby says success on this front isn’t and will not be how it is doing relative to other provinces. Instead, he says, the focus should be to ensure that everyone who needs treatment is starting it within the clinically defined benchmark, which is not the case now.

“We’re already seeing the wait times come down, which is an important marker for us,” Eby said. “And also we’re working with Health Canada and with BC Cancer about being able to provide more data about where we are in delivering and hitting those windows, where we’re making good progress, and where we’re not, so that we can re-strategize and redevelop.”

But Eby has not given specific deadlines or dates for improvements. The new year, he says, will also bring a focus on detection and prevention, such as with HPV. He says there will be improvements in getting access to testing for early detection and making sure everyone who is eligible for the vaccine is able to do so.