B.C. medical specialists call for urgent meeting with health minister as patients are stuck waiting

A group of 26 doctors has sent B.C. Health Minister Adrian Dix a letter asking for a meeting to “express deep concern for the estimated one million patients waiting to see a specialist” in the province.

The specialist doctors who co-signed the letter say they have been hampered by years of increasing challenges compounded by the COVID-19 pandemic.

One of the challenges addressed by the doctors is Urgent Primary Care Centres and emergency departments are overwhelmed and can’t provide immediate access to specialists.

1:55 Province reworking seizure care plan at B.C. schools

“Our entire health-care system is crumbling, but not enough is being done to improve specialist patient outcomes or shorten our overcrowded wait lists,” the letter reads.

“If we do not work together to find solutions, specialty care in this province is going to erode even further. “

Tweet This Click to share quote on Twitter: "If we do not work together to find solutions, specialty care in this province is going to erode even further. "

Get weekly health news

Receive the latest medical news and health information delivered to you every Sunday.

Sign up for weekly health newsletter Sign Up

By providing your email address, you have read and agree to Global News' Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy.

The B.C. government has been able to tackle some of the wait lists in the province, including a substantial drop in wait times for MRIs.

But these doctors say they have seen a recent increase in negative outcomes including a patient with sudden hearing loss who if seen sooner wouldn’t have become permanently hearing impaired.

According to the letter, there are currently over 16,000 people waiting for an echocardiogram in Vancouver Coastal Health alone and patients in the Lower Mainland and on Vancouver Island with new cancer diagnoses are waiting two to three months for their first visit with an oncologist.

The letter also mentions a lone respirologist in Northern Health had to close her practice to less urgent referrals for the last two years just to catch up and continue seeing urgent cases.

2:08 Former B.C. politician suffers stroke, faces major ambulance delay

There is also the example of a three-year-old with possible autism waiting more than 18 months for a formal assessment.

“These are just some of the hundreds, if not thousands, of stories from across the province,” the letter reads.

“Specialists care for complex patients who are often too ill to advocate for themselves. We need to stabilize and strengthen our Specialty Care infrastructure to support this vulnerable population.”

Global News has reached out to Dix for comment.