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By Minister of Indigenous Relations and Reconciliation Murray Rankin

Sound Off

SOUND OFF: B.C.’s healthcare system feeling effects of previous cuts

Jul 6, 2022 | 9:45 AM

PEOPLE ACROSS CANADA have found it increasingly difficult to access consistent primary care over the last 20 years. This is a major problem and I understand that people across B.C. are frustrated. The challenges we are seeing today are decades in the making and were worsened by funding cuts to health care made by previous governments. But regardless of the causes of our present problem, we are committed to finding solutions.

At a time when the former government should have proactively doubled down to strengthen our health system, the BC Liberal government abandoned its commitment to improve health care. Instead, it slashed funding, increased MSP premiums, and privatized our healthcare services, laying off thousands of healthcare workers across the province.

Our government has taken concerted action to improve primary care in B.C. and to reinvest back into health services, but the pandemic has only increased the strain. Strikingly, the federal government used to pay 50 per cent of public healthcare costs to the provinces through the Canada Health Transfer. Now, the federal government’s share is just 22 per cent. In 2011, the federal Conservative government announced plans to reduce annual increases to the health transfer. Kevin Falcon, the current BC Liberal leader, was finance minister at the time, and he was the only provincial finance minister anywhere in Canada to support the cuts. Those same cuts have cost British Columbians billions in healthcare funding, and that’s why Premier Horgan is now leading a coordinated effort with other provinces to get Ottawa to pay its fair share.

This huge underfunding created a lack of cohesion in our healthcare system. It meant people were paying more and getting less. While we have massively increased health investments since forming government, we recognize that there is much more to do. We are listening closely to those on the front lines so we can implement solutions that will lead to long-term success.

Along with all my caucus colleagues, I have been meeting with constituents, doctors, nurses and healthcare workers in our communities in an effort to understand their experiences on the ground and to amplify their voices in the legislature. I have encouraged follow-up meetings as well. Recently, I met with several family doctors at an event sponsored by the BC College of Family Physicians and listened to their ideas to strengthen our healthcare system for all.

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Our government is working to train and license more doctors to work in B.C. by expanding medical training, and adding new residency seats, including dedicated seats for international medical graduates. We are also offering more alternative payment plans for family doctors to support them to stay in family practice, rather than the current model, which we acknowledge is not working for everyone. And we are also making it easier for internationally trained nurses to work in B.C.

Many of these are transformational changes that won’t produce results overnight. That’s why we are also taking steps to increase efficiency in the system as it currently stands. One example is that we’ve doubled the number of nurse practitioners who can prescribe routine medications, which frees up doctors to see more patients.

While we take action here in BC, we need the federal government to respond to the urgent need for a significant, long-term funding increase. Next week, John Horgan will chair a meeting of Canada’s premiers in Victoria, where the leaders will be focused on working together to finalize a new agreement with the federal government. There’s a lot of work to do, but we’re determined to make sure every British Columbian can get the health care they need.

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Editor’s Note: This opinion piece reflects the views of its author, and does not necessarily represent the views of CFJC Today or Pattison Media.