B.C. health-care professionals welcome review of administrative system costs
Health-care workers’ associations in British Columbia are expressing their support for the commitment made by the new health minister to reduce the cost of health-care administration in the province. This initiative comes at a time when health care remains a top priority for voters, with ongoing issues such as emergency room closures and a shortage of family doctors affecting hundreds of thousands of British Columbians.
In her mandate letter to Health Minister Josie Osborne, Premier David Eby outlined the importance of addressing the health-care worker shortage and ensuring that every British Columbian has access to primary care. One of the key focuses of the mandate is to reduce administrative costs in order to allocate resources more effectively to frontline services. This includes a review of the province’s seven health-care authorities, which critics have deemed as being overly bloated.
Dr. Claudine Storness-Bliss, a former B.C. United candidate, commended the government for taking steps to address the issues within the health-care system. She highlighted the need for reform, citing the staggering $1.8 billion spent on health-care administration in 2022, which is significantly higher than the costs in other provinces with larger populations.
Health Minister Osborne emphasized the importance of working with health authorities to identify areas where administrative costs can be reduced. While the review process is still in its early stages, the goal is to streamline operations and improve efficiency without compromising the quality of care provided to patients.
The B.C. Conservative Party’s finance critic, Peter Milobar, raised concerns about the excessive number of administrators within the health-care system, calling for a more streamlined approach to governance. The B.C. Greens, who have entered into a co-operation agreement with the NDP, have also advocated for a review of health-care authority expenditure to eliminate inefficiencies.
Representatives from the B.C. Family Doctors group and the B.C. Nurses’ Union have welcomed the government’s commitment to addressing administrative costs. Dr. Darren Joneson highlighted the progress made in primary care with the introduction of a new payment model, but stressed the importance of expanding team-based care to reduce administrative burdens on doctors. Adriane Gear, president of the B.C. Nurses’ Union, called for increased efforts to recruit and retain nurses in the province, while also expressing concerns about the reliance on private agency nurses in rural areas.
Overall, the push to reduce health-care administration costs in British Columbia is seen as a positive step towards improving the efficiency and effectiveness of the province’s health-care system. By streamlining operations and focusing resources on frontline services, the government aims to address the ongoing challenges faced by patients and health-care workers alike.
