Conservatives say B.C. hospital overcrowding reaching crisis levels

“Evidence shows that when hospitals reach 90 per cent capacity, patient care becomes compromised, and at over 100 per cent serious adverse events including death increase dramatically,” said Kindy in a statement. “Hallway medicine is not only dangerous but also demoralizing to ER doctors and that is why so many are leaving or quitting.”

The party also highlighted British Columbia’s rate of 1.9 hospital beds per 1,000 people, below the Canadian average of 2.5 beds per 1,000 residents and well below the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development average of 4.6.

Conservative MLA Kiel Giddens said the issue is particularly apparent in northern communities where hospitals frequently operate well above their ideal occupancy rates.

“Currently we have really a crisis of capacity in many of our hospitals across the province,” Giddens said in an interview with CKPG News. “UHNBC alone is at 99.2 per cent capacity. Hospitals actually target between 80 and 85 per cent to make sure there’s flexibility for cases of trauma or emergency acute care that are coming in.”

He said hospitals operating near full capacity leave little room to cope with spikes in demand.

“That’s why you see patients in hallways, crowded hospital rooms in some cases,” he said. “These issues are not just in Prince George. They are across the province.”

Giddens pointed to smaller northern hospitals that are also under pressure.

“Mackenzie and many of the regional hospitals around in the north are typically at 95 per cent capacity,” he said. “As soon as a doctor or nurse may call in sick, that’s why we see ER closures.”

He noted recent temporary emergency room closures in communities including Vanderhoof, Burns Lake and Fort St. James.

The Ministry of Health disputes the Conservatives’ interpretation of hospital occupancy figures, arguing that many hospitals are serving patients who no longer require acute care but are waiting for long-term care placements or community supports.

In a statement provided to CKPG News, the ministry said hospitals across the province and the country are facing increasing demand driven by an aging population and patients with more complex healthcare needs.

“High hospital occupancy rates are driven by Alternate Level of Care (ALC) bed days,” the ministry said. “Patients who no longer require hospital services, but who are waiting to be admitted to another care facility, or who require additional supports after discharge.”

The ministry said that when those patients are excluded from occupancy calculations, all health authorities fall below 100 per cent occupancy.

Giddens acknowledged that alternate-level-of-care patients represent a significant portion of hospital occupancy, but argued that the province needs to do more to expand long-term care capacity.

“About a third of the beds at UHNBC are patients who are waiting for long-term care placements,” he said. “That takes up acute care space in hospital settings. We badly need support for those long-term care beds to get patients to where they need to be.”

The Conservatives have also criticized the provincial government for delaying or revising several healthcare infrastructure projects.

Kindy said the government is “getting further behind in healthcare infrastructure,” citing the postponement of several long-term care developments and changes to the Burnaby Hospital redevelopment project.

Conservative Leader Kerry-Lynne Findlay said a Conservative government would focus on expanding healthcare infrastructure and supporting frontline workers.

“The NDP have failed to provide British Columbians with the standard of healthcare they deserve,” said Findlay. “A Conservative government would invest in our hospitals and provide healthcare workers with the support they need.”

The province, however, says it is already making substantial investments to address capacity concerns.

According to the Ministry of Health, more than 720 provincially funded acute-care beds were added in 2023 alone. Since 2017, the government says it has invested nearly $14 billion in hospitals, long-term care facilities, clinics and cancer centres.

The province also says work is completed or underway on 38 hospital projects, 37 public and private long-term care homes, four cancer centres and 48 urgent and primary care centres.

In addition, the government says it has invested more than $3.5 billion in primary care and community-based services, including home health care, assisted living and respite programs, to help reduce pressure on hospitals.

The Ministry of Health also points to efforts to improve access to primary care, stating that more than 600,000 British Columbians have been connected with a family doctor or nurse practitioner since 2023.

While both sides agree an aging population is increasing demand on the healthcare system, they remain divided on whether current provincial investments are keeping pace with the growing need for hospital and long-term care capacity.

As healthcare infrastructure continues to emerge as a key political issue, overcrowded hospitals and access to care are expected to remain major concerns for patients, healthcare workers and communities across northern B.C. and the rest of the province.

by Greg Fry

Conservatives say B.C. hospital overcrowding reaching crisis levels

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