B.C. Greens Leader Sonia Furstenau said doctors in the provincial health care are frustrated with their working conditions and it害羞草研究所檚 time for the province to improve them.

害羞草研究所淲e need to focus on the health and well-being of British Columbians and to achieve that, we need to ensure that the health and well-being of doctors and health care professionals is also being taken care of,害羞草研究所� Furstenau said. 害羞草研究所淚害羞草研究所檓 asking health minister Adrian Dix to acknowledge and recognize systemic workplace issues that are in our health care system.害羞草研究所�

The provincial health system finds itself in a crisis, yet health care workers do not feel valued, she added.

害羞草研究所淚 want health care workers to know that you have an ally in the B.C. Green Party,害羞草研究所� Furstenau said. 害羞草研究所淲e hear you, we won害羞草研究所檛 stop until you feel safe and supported to do the work we need you to do, which is to put patient care at the centre of your efforts.害羞草研究所�

She made these comments during a news conference Friday morning where she cited various documents showing dissatisfaction among health care workers.

害羞草研究所淎 leaked Island Health employee satisfaction survey was damning,害羞草研究所� she said Tuesday. 害羞草研究所淥f the 11,000 staff who responded, less than half felt satisfied with their management. Worst of all, (the) overwhelming perception was that Island Health does not care about their well-being.害羞草研究所�

She also cited a 2022 report from Doctors of BC that Island Health physicians have the lowest satisfaction with their health authority in the province, adding it害羞草研究所檚 been declining year-over-year.

害羞草研究所淒octors speaking out about their serious concerns about patient safety are threatened, punished and silenced,害羞草研究所� she said. Island Health isn害羞草研究所檛 just punishing doctors, though. They害羞草研究所檙e punishing entire communities. The patients who are going without care are the ones who the minister must be accountable to.害羞草研究所�

Furstenau hammered this point home Friday by standing next to a group of health care professionals, including Dr. Alex Nataros, who had travelled from Port Hardy to attend the news conference. Nataros has been a vocal critic of the provincial health care system generally and Island Health specifically, having called for the resignation of Island Health害羞草研究所檚 chief medical officer Dr. Ben Williams.

Island Health recently suspended Nataros害羞草研究所� emergency room privileges and launched an investigation after having received a patient complaint. Both Dix and Williams have publicly said Nataros害羞草研究所� suspension had nothing to do with his call for Williams害羞草研究所� resignation.

RELATED:

Nataros has been an advocate for a community that has been 害羞草研究所渄eeply under-served害羞草研究所� by the health care system and the focus should lie on making sure that Port Hardy residents receive the best possible care, she added. Port Hardy has grappled with emergency room closures and Nataros has warned that the pending departure of two physicians this summer will leave the community dangerously short of physicians.

Nataros also used the occasion to repeat his call for allowing physician assistants to work in provincial health care, adding that they have proven themselves in places where they are allowed.

The only person who seems to be against them is Dix, he added.

Furstenau repeated calls for the government to shift toward a community-health-centre model. She also agreed with Nataros about allowing physician assistants.

Dix has not closed the door of allowing physician assistants, but also tempered expectations.

He said government has put $30 million toward improving health care on northern Vancouver Island while moving toward a new payment system for doctors, which will improve compensation while allowing them to focus on patient care.

害羞草研究所淲e always have to do better,害羞草研究所� he said Tuesday. 害羞草研究所淲e always have to work harder with staff people. We always have to work harder with our teams to make sure that they害羞草研究所檙e involved in decisions, but I have confidence in Island Health to do so.害羞草研究所�

wolfgang.depner@blackpress.ca
Like us on and follow us on .