Premier-designate Clark must back away from health care cuts

VANCOUVER – With Royal Columbian Hospital patients being diverted to Tim Hortons for treatment, B.C.’s New Democrats are calling on Premier-designate Christy Clark to back away from her plans to further cut health care.

“Having patients at the Royal Columbian Hospital treated at Tim Hortons shows the degree to which our health care has declined under 10 years of B.C. Liberals. And now Premier-designate Christy Clark wants to bring in changes that could result in a further $750 million cut,” said Black, the New Democrat interim leader and New Westminster MLA. “Ms. Clark has said she’ll put families first, but her plans will leave an already inadequate health care system worse off and patients without the basic level of health care.”

Monday evening’s severe overcrowding at New Westminster’s Royal Columbian, which forced patients into the hospital coffee shop, is the latest chapter in B.C.’s hallway medicine.

“Last night’s events raise significant questions about hygiene and privacy in our hospitals, along with the declining quality of care,” said Black. “Ms. Clark has talked a good line on putting families first; now it’s time for her to show she meant it. It’s incumbent upon her to tell patients who rely on Royal Columbian what action she intends to take.”

New Democrat health critic Sue Hammell said these problems extend back to Premier-designate Clark’s last stint in cabinet.

“This is a new low, caused by systemic problems due to repeated mistakes and broken promises by this government,” said Hammell. “This goes back to the closure of St. Mary’s Hospital, which resulted in patients being diverted to Royal Columbian. And it goes back to this governments’ 2001 broken election promise to create 5,000 additional long-term care spaces.

“Christy Clark was a co-author of the B.C. Liberals’ 2001 election platform, but once she was sitting around the cabinet table, her government broke that promise. She needs to answer for the B.C. Liberals’ broken promises,” Hammell said.

Overcrowding at Royal Columbian has become too common under this government. After St. Mary’s was closed in 2004, emergency room doctors, surgeons and even the out-going head of the Fraser Health Authority wrote letters to the provincial government warning of significant overcrowding.

B.C.’s New Democrats have been holding our government accountable for their broken promises to protect health care and education.