BC to Notify Patients of Dangerous Waits

Summary#

• This bill would require B.C. health authorities to track recommended wait times for serious medical conditions and tell patients when their wait will be longer than what is medically advised.

• It also creates an annual public report on patients who died before getting scheduled care for a serious condition.

• Key changes:

  • Health authorities must determine the medically recommended time frame and the expected actual wait for patients who need care for a serious condition.
  • If a patient will not get care within the recommended time, the health authority must notify the patient and list any options to get the same care outside the region.
  • “Health services” includes diagnostic tests (like MRIs or CT scans), medical care, surgery, and obstetrical care (pregnancy and childbirth care).
  • The Minister must publish each year the number of patients who died before receiving scheduled care for a serious condition, when a doctor believes the death was caused by that condition.
  • The Minister can set the format and content of these reports. If the law takes effect after June 30 in a given year, no report is required for that year.
  • The law would start within six months of becoming law, or sooner if the government sets an earlier date.

What it means for you#

• Patients with serious medical conditions

  • You would be told if your wait for tests or treatment will be longer than what doctors recommend to prevent death or permanent serious harm.
  • The notice would say what care you need, how soon you should get it, how long you are expected to wait, and any options to get equivalent care in another B.C. health region.
  • This bill does not guarantee faster care, but it aims to give you clear information so you can consider other options.

• Families and caregivers

  • You would have clearer information about a loved one’s wait and possible out‑of‑region alternatives.
  • You could use the notice to discuss referrals with your doctor.

• Health authority staff and administrators

  • You would need to set or apply medically recommended time frames (using provincial standards if set) and track expected waits for patients with serious conditions.
  • You would need to send timely notices and report certain deaths to the Ministry.

• Doctors and diagnostic facilities

  • You may be asked to confirm serious condition status and provide opinions when reporting deaths linked to a patient’s condition.

• General public

  • Each year, you could see a public count of deaths of patients who were scheduled for care for a serious condition but died before receiving it, when a doctor believes the condition caused the death.

Expenses#

No publicly available information.

Proponents' View#

• Improves transparency on wait times for high‑risk patients, so people are not left in the dark.
• Helps patients and families act sooner, including seeking care in another region when that is possible.
• Creates public accountability by reporting deaths of patients who were waiting for care for life‑threatening conditions.
• Encourages health authorities to meet medically recommended time frames or explain gaps.
• Uses provincial standards where available to make expectations clearer and more consistent across regions.

Opponents' View#

• Adds administrative work to set time frames, track waits, send notices, and report deaths, which could divert staff time.
• May alarm patients without offering new funding or capacity to shorten waits.
• “Serious medical condition” focuses on risk of death; harms short of death (like lasting disability) may be under‑reported.
• Where no provincial standard exists, local judgments could lead to uneven definitions of “medically recommended” time across regions.
• Could shift pressure onto patients to find out‑of‑region care, which may be hard for people who face travel, cost, or access barriers.