The BC Liberal government is investing $5 million to improve access to cardiac care, the first in a series of targeted investments designed to reduce surgical wait lists.
August 17, 2004
The BC Liberal government is investing $5 million to improve access to cardiac care, the first in a series of targeted investments designed to reduce surgical wait lists.
Premier Gordon Campbell made the announcement saying,
“We understand the stress and anxiety patients and their families experience as they wait for the phone call to tell them their heart surgery is finally going to happen. As a result of all the hard work our health authorities, doctors, nurses and other health care providers have done to rebuild our health system, today we are able to make a real difference in the lives of these patients.”
More money for cardiac care will go to the Provincial Health Services Authority (PHSA), which works with the other health authorities to ensure all B.C. residents have access to high-quality specialized health care services such as cardiac surgery. A provincewide cardiac service means that whether a patient lives in Vanderhoof or Vancouver, they will receive equitable access to specialized medical care.
Right now, more than half of all cardiac patients receive surgery on an immediate basis, without any time on a wait list. This strong system for cardiac care in British Columbia will be supplemented with an additional investment of $3 million to add an estimated 160 extra open-heart surgeries in 2004/05 – a five per cent increase.
Premier Campbell said this additional investment will mean the vast majority of even the lowest risk patients requiring cardiac surgery will not wait longer than three months for the care they need.
The remaining $2 million will purchase hundreds of medical devices used to hold open blocked arteries in patients with heart disease. The use of the new specialized drug coated stents for high-risk cardiac patients reduces their likelihood of needing open-heart surgery or other cardiac procedures.
“This new funding will make a dramatic difference in improving access for patients and their families waiting for cardiac care,” said Dr. Robert Halpenny, provincial executive director of PHSA’s Cardiac Services. “By taking this important action, the government is working with health authorities and health care providers to reduce wait lists and wait times for open heart surgery.”
Premier Campbell said that despite an increasing investment in cardiac services between 1999 and 2002, the actual number of open-heart surgeries declined, in large part as a result of a lack of hospital capacity due to a shortage in critical care nurses. He said the fact that B.C. performed more open-heart surgeries in 2003/04 than ever before is a testament to the hard work of managers and providers in the system who are working to ensure British Columbians get the best value for the substantive investment made in our health care system.
“We’ve increased the number of surgeries and procedures by working hard to optimize how we use our resources, recognizing that it takes more than money to provide high-quality medical care,” Campbell said. “As we have told the prime minister, all provinces and territories are working hard to address wait lists and improve access to care through ongoing system improvements.”
Premier Campbell said the provinces and territories are looking forward to forthcoming health care discussions with the federal government. To continue innovation at a national level, the premiers believe that a national Pharmacare program would provide immediate benefits across Canada. In addition to improving pharmaceutical therapies, the plan would allow provinces to provide additional funds for direct patient care. Under such a plan, the heart surgery wait list announcement made today could be replicated and built upon in many other important areas of health care.
