What health-care promises have B.C. parties made ahead of the provincial election?
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parties → make → election
Parties outline health-care priorities from more recruitment to accelerated training and new clinics
B.C.'s provincial parties are sharing their priorities for health care ahead of the Oct. 24 election, with promises ranging from more recruitment and accelerated training to new health centres.
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parties → outline → centres
Several changes have been introduced to tackle B.C.’s health-care challenges in recent years, including a new family doctor payment model as an alternative to the older fee-for-service system, and a streamlined process for internationally trained physicians to work in the province.
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physicians → introduce → province
The B.C. NDP also launched the Health Connect Registry, an online portal linking patients to care providers, and expanded pharmacists’ ability to treat minor ailments and prescribe contraceptives.
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NDP → launch → contraceptives
The party says it’s attached 700,000 more people to a family doctor or nurse practitioner in the last three years.
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it → say → years
But challenges remain as staffing shortages force regular ER closures in some communities and more than 1.2 million British Columbians remain without a family doctor.
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Columbians → remain → doctor
So what are some changes parties are proposing for health care this provincial election?
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parties → propose → care
The B.C. Conservatives say they are standing firm on keeping B.C.'s system universal and publicly funded, despite the NDP warning the Conservatives will move towards health-care privatization.
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Conservatives → say → privatization
"I want a fully public system that everyone in this province can access, said leader Lorne Doerkson at the leaders’ debate on Wednesday.
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Doerkson → want → Wednesday
The party says within its first 100 days, it will launch an expert commission to bring proven solutions from other public systems to B.C.
B.C.
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it → say → B.C.
Conservative Leader Lorne Doerkson says he supports a public health-care system and is focused on hiring and retaining more doctors.
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he → say → doctors
On Thursday, the party pledged a new women and children’s hospital in Surrey, so families no longer have to travel to Vancouver for care.
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families → pledge → care
It's also vowing to keep emergency rooms open, hire and retain more doctors and nurses, and speed up international credential recognition for Canadians who studied abroad.
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who → vow → Canadians
The party says it will support rural medical practices at risk of closing, and invest $50 million into what it is calling an emergency fund.
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it → say → what
"We will protect health care funding, recruit and retain more doctors and nurses, and cut wait times.
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We → protect → times
Your health card will always be all you need," the party said in a statement.
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party → need → statement
B.C. NDP
B.C. NDP Leader David Eby said he is committed to public health care and has echoed the shortage of health-care workers as a major challenge.
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he → say → challenge
"We’ve got to recruit more doctors.
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We → get → doctors
That’s why we are tripling our recruitment of American health-care workers," Eby said at the leaders' debate, noting 800 U.S. workers have been hired so far.
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workers → ’ → debate
The party said it will launch an accelerated training program for international medical graduates already living in B.C. and add 1,000 more training seats for nurses, nurse practitioners, allied health workers and care aides, including a 20 per cent increase in nursing seats.
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it → say → seats
B.C. NDP Leader David Eby's priorities include tripling the recruitment of U.S. health-care workers and creating regional surgical waitlists.
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priorities → include → waitlists
The party is proposing new regional waitlists that offer patients the earliest surgery date possible in their region or, if they prefer, to still choose a specific surgeon or hospital.
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they → propose → surgeon
Currently, surgery wait times can depend on the surgeon patients are referred to, the NDP said.
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NDP → depend → surgeon
Promises also include eight new MRI machines and 10 CT scanners, 20 additional team-based primary care clinics, and the opening of Canada’s first perinatal mental health unit at B.C. Women’s Hospital.
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Promises → include → Hospital
"We will pay for these actions by asking the top four per cent of earners in B.C. to pitch in a little bit more.
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We → pay → B.C.
Ninety-six per cent of people will see no change in their taxes," the party said.
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party → see → taxes
The B.C. Green Party is pledging funding that establishes community health centres in every riding in the province.
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that → pledge → province
"That would mean you could walk into your neighbourhood and you would have access to a physician, a nurse practitioner and imaging all under the same roof," said leader Emily Lowan at the leaders' debate.
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Lowan → mean → debate
B.C. Green Party Leader Emily Lowan has pledged funding for community health centres in every riding.
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Lowan → pledge → riding
The party’s platform online also includes increased funding for nurses in the public system to support safe nurse-to-patient ratios and end reliance on private agency nurses.
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platform → include → nurses
It also wants to centralize referrals for surgeries, and non-surgical and pre-surgical care rather than using distributed lists.
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It → want → lists
CentreBC
CentreBC has set a goal of providing a family doctor or nurse practitioner to anyone wanting one by the end of 2031.
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CentreBC → set → 2031
Leader Elenore Sturko’s promises include 600 more nurse practitioner positions by 2030 and 100 more medical residency spots by the same year.
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promises → include → year
"A family doctor or nurse practitioner team for everyone who wants one, shorter waits that people can see for themselves, treatment for mental health and addiction when people ask for it.
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people → want → it
We are committed to public health care, not private pay," the party said in a statement to CBC News.
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party → commit → News
CentreBC Leader Elenore Sturko's promises include adding more nurse practitioners and doubling B.C.’s assessment program for internationally trained family doctors, (Ben Nelms/CBC)
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promises → include → CBC
The party wants to increase the assessment program for internationally trained family doctors, from 96 to 200 positions a year by 2028.
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party → want → 2028
To help keep emergency rooms open, CentreBC is pitching an ER Accountability Act to cut unplanned closures in half by 2029/30 while allocating $25 million a year to stabilize rural ERs.
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CentreBC → keep → ERs
Pledges also include the creation of a single public health dashboard showing surgeries, scans, specialists and ER statuses by hospital and region, five more MRI machines, and a new children’s hospital for Surrey and Langley with construction starting in 2031.
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construction → include → 2031
OneBC
OneBC is currently the only party platform listing support for private health care alongside fully-funded public health care.
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OneBC → list → care
…and 8 more, not listed.
The Aporia
