Health waits too long in BC

Photo: Contributed

Insights West conducted a survey asking B.C. residents to point out specific concerns they may have about the health-care system.

Three-in-four residents (75 per cent) include “long waiting times for procedures and tests” as one of their key concerns. The second ranked concern across the province is a “shortage of doctors and nurses” at 66 per cent. 

“Two-thirds of British Columbians are concerned about a perceived lack of medical professionals in their communities,” said Insights West vice president of public affairs Mario Canseco.

“While Metro Vancouverites are worried about this, the proportion is significantly higher in Vancouver Island, the Okanagan and Northern B.C."

When asked about their personal interaction with the health-care system in the province, more than three-in-five British Columbians (63 per cent) say they have waited more than one hour during an emergency room visit.

Three other concerns are less prevalent: 32 per cent of British Columbians are worried about “bureaucracy and poor management," 27 per cent about “inadequate resources and out-of-date facilities” and 15 per cent about “dirty hospitals and insufficient hygiene standards.”