Monday September 9, 2024 | VICTORIA, BC [Updated 11:55 am]
Political analysis by Mary P Brooke | Island Social Trends
Today the BC Green Party announced their idea for a new direction in primary health-care in BC by which every resident would have a ‘primary care home’.
This is in response to the growing health-care crisis in British Columbia, says BC Green Party leader Sonia Furstenau.
Political will and vision with be required to repair what has evolved over decades, said Furstenau today.
“Doctors and nurses can build their teams and do what they were trained to do, deliver health-care,” said Furstenau in her media session today.
She hears from doctors that they would prefer to focus on delivering health-care than running a small business (as family doctor’s offices are currently set up to do).
Today Furstenau addressed media from her campaign office in Victoria and via Zoom. She will outline the BC Green health-care model at a meeting with the Greater Victoria Chamber of Commerce tomorrow.
Election coming up October 19:
The full provincial election campaign period begins September 21. The election is on October 19.
The BC Greens currently have 34 candidates across BC’s 93 ridings, while the BC NDP and BC Conservatives are both offering a full 93-candidate slate. [See PROVINCIAL ELECTION SECTION within the Island Social Trends Community Calendar]
Dogwood Model:
The proposed Dogwood Model would provide every resident with a ‘primary care home,’ ensuring accessible, team-based, longitudinal care.
“British Columbians deserve a public healthcare system that works for them, not against them,” said BC Green Leader, Sonia Furstenau.
“With nearly one million people without a family doctor and emergency rooms closing or facing extensive wait times, it’s clear our system is failing. The Dogwood Model is the solution.”
- The ‘Dogwood Model’ as inspired by former federal Health Minister Jane Philpott’s ‘Periwinkle Model,’ would establish a network of Community Health Centres across the province.
- British Columbians would have access to doctors, nurses, mental health professionals, and specialists like dietitians and physiotherapists within their community. This model streamlines complicated referrals, ensuring timely, comprehensive care all in one place. Once the system is fully built, people will be seamlessly transferred to a unit in their new location when they move.
- Spaces would be leased and administered by the province, allowing healthcare professionals to focus on patient care.
The current UPCC model:
The current BC NDP government has built out a number of Urgent Primary Care Centres (UPCCs) across the province, with six in the Greater Victoria area.
The performance of these UPCCs has been moderate at best. Lineups outdoors for hours to get in, no attachment to doctors or clinics for longitudinal care, and arguably a worsening of health conditions as people wait for care (or fail to receive care at all) is the legacy of UPCCs so far.
The staffing of UPCCs seems to be a consistent concern. This may be due to salary level and/or workload.
“We need to uncomplicate the delivery of primary care in this province,” said Furstenau today.
“UPCCs impose a model that doesn’t fit communities,” said Furstenau, saying the community-based model (board that does fundraising while doctors run their teams and deliver health-care) is a preferred system.
It’s understandable that the BC NDP government would not want to see variability among health-care clinics based on the fundraising that can be done in different communities.
Greens long on health-care:
The BC Greens have long been critical of the health-care system in BC.
“We spent $30.4 billion on healthcare last year, an extra $784 per person, but who feels they’ve received that value?” said Camille Currie, BC Green Party candidate for Esquimalt-Colwood. “This model will make better use of resources and foster collaborative partnerships.”
The ‘Dogwood Model’ is part of the BC Greens larger vision of addressing healthcare holistically by focusing on both primary care and the social determinants of health, says Furstenau.
“While some doctors may choose to continue their current practices, this model provides more opportunity for doctors and nurse practitioners to operate differently, building on the successful Community Health Centre model,” the BC Green Party says.
===== RELATED:
Working hard to get a UPCC medical appointment (August 30, 2024)
NEWS SECTIONS: HEALTH | BC PROVINCIAL ELECTION 2024