THE BC United said on Wednesday that following the release of another explosive letter from the Medical Staff Association at Surrey Memorial Hospital calling on healthcare leaders to either fill vacant positions in the emergency room or place it on diversion for new patients, the NDP government remains shockingly dismissive, disregarding the escalating crisis and the increasingly grave risks it poses to patient safety.

“Accountability starts at the top, and the dire situation we are witnessing at Surrey Memorial Hospital is a direct consequence of the NDP government’s disregard for the numerous warning signs raised by healthcare professionals, which have been ignored for months on end,” said BC United Leader Kevin Falcon. “It is frightening we’re now at the point where doctors are calling for the emergency room to be placed on diversion out of fears for patient safety. Eby and the NDP cannot afford to let this crisis persist any longer. Our health care system is on the brink of collapse, and people’s lives depend on this government stepping up and giving patients the level of care they expect to receive here in British Columbia.”

The BC United noted that the Medical Staff Association letter follows two other letters from healthcare workers at Surrey Memorial in the past two weeks. The first letter details the state of the crisis in the hospital’s emergency department and the continued dismissal of their concerns by “provincial leaders.” The second letter, penned by 36 physicians in obstetrics and gynecology at Surrey Memorial Hospital, expresses deep concern about inadequate resources compromising patient safety, which led to the death of a newborn. The OBGYNs highlighted the growing crisis in women’s health care, revealing that the wait times for gynecological procedures at the hospital are 77 per cent longer than the benchmark set by the Province.

“Healthcare professionals are trying to do what is best for their patients, but they are continually either ignored or punished for speaking out about the crisis in our health care system,” said Shirley Bond, BC United Critic for Health. “Meanwhile, the conditions inside our hospitals continue to worsen and more people lose their lives. Every day that Premier David Eby and his NDP government fail to step up and take real action on this crisis is a day more British Columbians are put at risk. People in Surrey, and throughout B.C., cannot afford to wait any longer for this government to address the health care crisis.”

READ:

Medical Staff Association Letter