VICTORIA, B.C.: A new Angus Reid poll shows British Columbians have lost confidence in their ability to access health care when they need it, with B.C. ranking among the worst provinces in Canada for access to emergency care, non-emergency treatment, diagnostics, and specialists.
“As a physician, these numbers are deeply concerning because they reflect fear, delay, and uncertainty for patients,” said Dr. Anna Kindy, MLA for North Island and Health Critic. “When 62 per cent of people say they’ve lost confidence in getting emergency care on time, that tells us people no longer trust the system to be there when it matters most.”
The poll found that 42 per cent of British Columbians say it is difficult or impossible to access non-emergency care that could normally be handled by a family doctor.
“This shows how many people are falling through the cracks before they ever reach a specialist or a hospital,” said Kindy. “If you can’t get primary care, problems worsen, and by the time patients show up in emergency rooms, they are often sicker and harder to treat.”
British Columbia also ranked worst in Canada for access to specialist appointments, with more than 60 per cent of respondents who needed a specialist in the past six months reporting difficulty getting care.
“That level of difficulty is not normal and it should not be accepted,” said Kindy. “Delayed diagnostics and delayed specialist care lead directly to worse outcomes for patients and further strains on our already-stressed system.”
Public confidence in the health system has also collapsed. Nearly three-quarters of British Columbians say the quality of health care has deteriorated over the past decade, while 71 per cent say they are dissatisfied with the provincial government’s performance on health care.
“For seniors and people in rural communities, loss of access is a profound source of anxiety,” said Brennan Day, MLA for Courtenay-Comox and Critic for Seniors and Rural Health. “When confidence is gone, people delay seeking care, travel long distances, or simply go without. That has real consequences for health and quality of life.”
“This poll reflects the reality of what British Columbians are experiencing every day,” Day added. “British Columbians deserve a system they can rely on, and right now, too many feel they can’t.”
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Media Contact:
Francesca Guetchev, Press Secretary
Francesca.Guetchev@leg.bc.ca
+1 (672) 922-0948
