THE BC NDP said on Tuesday that patients will get scans and surgeries sooner under David Eby’s plan to reduce wait times, which adds eight new MRI machines, 10 CT scanners, and introduces coordinated regional surgical waitlists that let patients choose the shortest wait.
“Waiting for a scan or surgery can mean living with pain and worrying every day about when you’ll finally get the call. We need to do more to reduce wait times in B.C. With our population growing and aging, we can’t afford to stop hiring healthcare workers and investing in equipment to bring wait times down,” said Eby, BC NDP leader. “The Conservatives’ interim leader says he’ll slash the deficit and won’t ask the wealthiest earners to pay a bit more. Unless he’s got a magic wand, that can mean only one thing: deep cuts to healthcare you and your family rely on.”
Since first elected, the BC NDP has added over 1,800 specialists, more than any other province, along with 21 new MRI units and 15 CT scanners. As a result, completed MRI exams are up 108%, and CT exams are up 61%. In addition, B.C. hospitals completed a record 382,000 surgeries last year. This has been bolstered by a recent $33-million investment to improve emergency care, diagnostics, and senior services in Surrey.
The Conservatives’ interim leader has been unable to explain how they can move forward with aggressive cuts to the deficit without any new sources of revenue and without cutting healthcare. They have admitted that “if education and healthcare are the two biggest line items on the budget, they’re the ones that are going to have to take the brunt of this somehow.” Eby will strengthen health care by asking the wealthiest income earners, including millionaires, to chip in a little bit extra – while 96% of British Columbians pay nothing more.
Currently, how long a patient waits for surgery can depend largely on which surgeon they were referred to, which can vary significantly, between 10 and 50-plus weeks for some surgeries. Eby’s plan will bring in coordinated regional waitlists so patients can be matched more efficiently with capacity across the region. It also means patients can choose a specific surgeon, an appointment at their closest hospital, or the shortest possible wait time. Recent research found that coordinating waitlists could halve surgery wait times for most patients across all regions.
Eby’s plan will also expand B.C.’s diagnostic capacity by approximately 15% with eight new MRI machines and 10 CT scanners, giving people in fast-growing and rural communities faster access to critical scans, quicker diagnoses, and earlier care closer to home. This includes bringing the first-ever MRI machine to Eagle Ridge Hospital – sparing local people from stressful, delayed transfers to neighbouring facilities for essential scans.
Plan for shorter healthcare wait times:
- Shorter wait times for surgical care: Bringing in coordinated regional waitlists that would allow people to access services anywhere in their region, meaning faster care and ensuring critical procedures happen within clinical benchmarks.
- Faster diagnosis close to home: Expanding MRI and CT scanning capacity in growing areas and rural communities to reduce travel burdens and accelerate treatment.
- Advanced surgical care: New investment in robotic-assisted surgery enables less invasive procedures, smaller incisions, shorter hospital stays, and faster recoveries.
- Real-time referral tracking: A new BC Health Passport app will let patients track referrals, view expected wait times, and access health records directly from their phones so they’re not left in the dark, not knowing when a referral will come through.
- More specialists for better care: The U.S. recruitment campaign will build on the BC NDP government’s work to attract specialists by targeting professions facing staff shortages, like surgeons, medical lab technicians, and medical imaging technologists who run the MIRs and other diagnostics so critical to timely care and treatment.
