'Crisis driven' complaints mounting in B.C., ombudsperson says timescolonist.com/local-news/cri… via Times Colonist

Darlene Reid TorGal Dee. ✌️🇨🇦 💛🇺🇦🇺🇸💪 While what you say is true, the public health system is not answerable to anyone and actual performance is covered up. Which is a big part of why we are where we are. Private isn't the answer. Making public accountable is.

What's missing from the whole "just let physicians go private" narrative in Canada is that we currently have NO standards or metrics for public access to care. We leave reporting to the govt comms people who cherry pick data and spin closures as enhancing patient care.

We know diverting scarce resources from the public system will affect care. How low is too low as far as access in the public system goes? We have no reliable way to track that. But I'd argue we're already below minimum acceptable standard.

The bogeyman of the US health system isn't a reason to reject private care altogether. But without transparency around the public system, that's what we'll have. Want a parallel private system alongside an accessible public system? Push for accountability of public care.

Kevin Mcleod Agreed. Transparency and accountability in the public system—getting it to the point it meets SOME minimum standard—should be an absolute prerequisite before we embark on this insane journey. Private care could supplement a core public system, but it shouldn't replace it.

Want two-tier medicine in Canada? Try restoring confidence in the public tier of our health system. Then we'd be happy to talk. Our current zero-one tier ("feeling lucky today?") isn't the answer. But neither is a one-tier private system.

She's not lying. You won't have to pay out of pocket. You just may not get service. But of course, you wouldn't need to pay for that.

Very true. If we want to take lessons from other countries let’s make sure we take *all* the lessons.

Jennifer Lloyd, PhD I wasn't . I was deadly serious. In BC there has been little if any attempt to engage full service family physicians and ask what they actually need. The current LFP plan that was to save us all (patients and physicians) was negotiated in secret with the MoH and so far as I know

We live in a weird world of anti-science and disinformation. Who knew Canadian provincial governments would be more than willing participants. The science is clear, and has been for decades, inadequate hospital capacity = ER boarding = LWBS and in some cases, premature death.

Mark Roseman Canadians would love to have the same access to healthcare that are political class and various other people under these affected groups. So put your virtue signal aside and see that we already have two tier healthcare. It needs to be brought out in the open and discussed.

A hybrid system with a functioning public tier is worth considering. That's NOT what we're talking about here. If there's no floor on public system performance (access to ER's, primary care, other basic services), we don't have a health system. We have a fucking lottery.

Mark Roseman I agree with this analysis. Money is money, whether private or tax funded. We need to pay for more care to achieve a dream of universal access. That should be taxes. After we have that we can discuss better access for either some or all and how you fund it.

An important statement. Lab Med experts repeatedly warned government about the follies of privatizing with Dynalife. Government didn't listen. What? Our government *not* listening to well thought out expert advice?? Whatever next...

This is a new one on me and frankly, a new low for Canada. Seriously. Un-fucking. Believable

"Failing to plan is planning to fail." Alberta's health care system currently lacks the precursors that must be in place for success in balancing public and private care. albertadoctors.org/news/publicati…

Better access to emergency care is attainable and relatively cost-neutral. It takes better transparency, defined accountability, independent oversight, and respect for our frontline providers. cbc.ca/news/marketpla…