[LabComm] Internal Hospital E-mail Alert Puts Lie to Inflated Health Satisfaction Numbers, says James

[BC NDP NEWSWIRE]

-- NDP Leader Says Government Should Move to Independent Health Performance Research --

VICTORIA – An internal e-mail alert from staff at the Royal Jubilee Hospital detailing critical bed shortages puts the lie to inflated health satisfaction numbers released by the BC Liberal government, NDP Leader Carole James said today.

"Gordon Campbell wants British Columbians to believe that health care is improving," said James.  "But the facts on the ground tell a very different story.  Beds are in short supply.  Patients are waiting in hallways.  And surgeries are getting cancelled."

James released a September 29, 2004 e-mail from staff at the Royal Jubilee Hospital in Victoria (see attached) urgently asking for help from other hospitals to cope with serious overcrowding.   The e-mail alert describes very sick patients waiting without stretchers, cancelled surgeries and hallway overcrowding.

James contrasted the patient suffering described in the alert with a patient satisfaction survey released by the government apparently showing widespread satisfaction with health care on Vancouver Island.  She called the survey into question pointing out that the satisfaction rating isn't supported by the surveys own findings.

"We've learned that we can't trust a thing Gordon Campbell's government says about its record," said James.  "The Vancouver Island patient satisfaction survey is just one example:  Mediocre marks from patients on every category measured magically turn into overwhelming approval of health care. But it's all a fantasy concocted by the BC Liberals in the lead up to the next election."

James said rather than allow unaccountable health boards to grade themselves, the government should charge an independent third party to undertake objective health performance research.

"British Columbians deserve a clear picture of how health care is serving patients, not inflated spin from unaccountable health boards appointed by the Campbell government.  That's why I would take the resources health boards are spending to pat themselves on the back and transfer them to independent health researchers who don't report to the Premier."

- 30 -

To view the leaked e-mail from Royal Jubilee, click the following link: http://nid-876.newsdetail.bc.ndp.ca/upload/20041025133828_041025VIHA_email.pdf

To unsubscribe or change your settings go to: http://www.e-2ve6y.signup.bc.ndp.ca/
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <http://bcfed.net/pipermail/labcomm/attachments/20041025/0901b3f4/attachment.html>