Health budgets manipulated, NDP says
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Updated: July 17, 2009 11:33 AM
Cuts to health services around the province were stage-managed by the B.C. Liberal government to avoid losing the May election, says NDP health critic Adrian Dix.
Dix was responding to the government's release of internal memos from regional health authority executives, warning of layoffs, elective surgery reductions and possible bed closures as they try to close a $360 million budget gap in the fiscal year that began April 1.
Health Minister Kevin Falcon met with health region board chairs this week, confirming that the six per cent annual increase for health care in the government's February budget was the limit, despite surging demand and rising wage costs. Falcon emphasized that the government is maintaining its commitment to boost spending by 20 per cent in the next three years, absorbing nearly all new provincial spending.
Dix noted that three years ago, former finance minister Carole Taylor instructed health authorities to make their budget submissions directly to the treasury board, a high-level cabinet committee that oversees major expenditures.
"Mr. Falcon continues to act as if this is some traffic accident he's witnessing," Dix said. "They've been in charge of this, and it's not working."
The B.C. government's audited financial statements for the year ended in March show the health authorities were over-budget by a combined $10 million, despite a $120 million extra payment that Dix called a pre-election move. He said the authorities had their budget allocations last October, but were told to sit on their financial plans until the May 12 election had been held.
In their memos to doctors and staff, health region CEOs begin by detailing the new facilities and services that have been added in recent years, along with efforts to curtail soaring costs. Among the new facilities is the Abbotsford hospital, part of the Fraser Health region that has the biggest population growth and an estimated shortfall of $160 million this year.
Dix says the new hospital is already overcrowded, like the rest of Fraser Health facilities.
"The situation in Abbotsford is a classic example of what's happened," he said. "They built a hospital for 300 acute care beds. They have 260 acute care beds. They shut down 232 beds, including some at Mission Memorial. So they spent $449 million for an incremental 28 acute-care beds. It's no wonder the place is jammed."
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