Fraser Valley Hospitals Losing Acute Care Beds During Shortage Under B.C. Liberals’ Post Election Health Care Plan
VANCOUVER - After promising during the election to protect health care services, the B.C. Liberals are downgrading hundreds of acute care beds in the Fraser Valley, the New Democrats said today.
"The government's plan to remove 234 beds out of acute care units is the latest 
Adrian Dixbroken promise from the B.C. Liberals. Over the summer, the government denied suggestions that it was going to close acute care beds, but now we have found out that these beds will be lost under the B.C. Liberals' post-election health care plan. This short-sighted decision will leave Metro Vancouver short approximately 1,000 essential acute care beds, creating more chaos in the health system,” said New Democrat health critic Adrian Dix .
The spaces are being taken out of acute care for 'alternative levels of care', meaning the patients occupying them require residential care and home care.
“Rather than making investments in residential care and home care so acute care beds remain available, Health Minister Kevin Falcon is making the acute care bed shortage in the region worse, which will lead to more congested emergency rooms and longer wait times,” said Dix.
The B.C. Liberals still have not met their promise to improve seniors' care and build 5,000 new long term care beds. Dix noted that Minister Falcon is shutting down existing residential care beds in the region, and then shifting over 200 beds from acute care to serve as long term care beds in hospital settings.
Sue HammellDeputy health critic Sue Hammell noted that, as a result, hospitals across the region will lose capacity at a time when FHA's own studies show that Metro Vancouver is already short 748 acute care beds.
“The loss of 234 beds compounds the existing shortage. Surrey Memorial Hospital, the flashpoint for overcrowded ERs and bed shortages in the Fraser Valley, is losing 45 acute care beds. Langley Memorial will lose 31 acute care beds, close to 20 per cent of its capacity. Meanwhile Falcon is directing FHA to close hundreds of existing long term care beds, including 80 at Surrey's Newton Regency care home alone,” said Hammell.
Reports confirm that the Fraser Valley needs more residential care and community care to meet the needs of seniors and reduce backlogs in ERs and acute care bed shortages.
Dix also noted this decision illustrates the B.C. Liberals' fiscal incompetence, saying "The loss of acute care beds spells increased demand on ERs and longer wait times, which will increase costs in the long run. Consider that the government spent $450 million dollars on the Abbotsford Hospital to produce 32 net new acute care beds. And now, they are downgrading 234 acute care beds in a time of admitted shortage to deal with a fiscal crisis of their own making.”
