[LabComm] BC Liberal Broken Promises, Funding Shortfall To Blame for Emergency Room Crisis at Fraser Health, says James

[BC NDP NEWSWIRE]

BC Liberal Broken Promises, Funding Shortfall To Blame for Emergency Room Crisis at Fraser Health, says James



VANCOUVER - Four years of broken promises and a serious funding shortfall are to blame for the emergency room crisis at the Fraser Health Authority, NDP Leader Carole James said today.

"Patients at Fraser Health hospitals are not getting proper care and Gordon Campbell is to blame," said James. "He promised new long-term care facilities but in office he's closed thousands of beds and he's cut hundreds of millions from needed capital expenditures. This combination is creating a crisis for health care at Fraser Health and throughout BC."

In a recent memo to staff detailing the emergency room crisis, Fraser Health Authority CEO Bob Smith says that Fraser Health is short 110 emergency room beds for admitted patients who face unacceptably long waits. Mr. Smith strongly urges staff to discharge patients to free up space.

James said the responsibility for this serious bed shortage rests with the Campbell government. According to the Fraser Health Authority, the region faces a $50 million capital funding shortfall this year, rising to over $163 million by 2006. (For multi-year capital funding budget, see: http://www.fraserhealth.ca/About/BudgetandFinancials/Default.htm 

Moreover, the government has cut over 800 long-term care beds at Fraser Health, and by its own calculations is well behind on its plan to replace them with cheaper assisted living beds.

"The situation at Fraser Health is the result of bad decisions, broken promises, and extreme mismanagement of health care by the Campbell government," said James. "Everyone knows that the population is aging, but still, the BC Liberals are slashing needed long-term care beds and shortchanging health authorities.

"Predictably, that's resulted in overcrowded emergency rooms, hallway medicine, and growing anger and frustration for BC patients," said James. 

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