The B.C. Ambulance Service is in critical condition. Due to a continued lack of funding, the B.C. Ambulance Service has not been able to keep pace with the growth and the pre-hospital needs of the Province of British Columbia. There is an increasing shortage of ambulances, paramedics and related infrastructure in B.C. These shortages translate to delays in emergency responses and the lives of the people of B.C. being put at risk.
The population of B.C. is growing steadily each year, with the elderly (65+) population increasing even more rapidly. This growth is reflected in large increases in ambulance call volumes and emergency room visits annually in all areas of the province. Even during this time of increased demand we have seen continued downsizing of rural ambulance stations.
In addition, the absence of a long-term training, recruitment and retention plan is reflected in the increasing frequency of remote stations going out of service due to lack of staff. In urban and metro areas, there are not enough ambulances to handle the daily call volumes. This translates to delayed response times to emergency calls, which is costing lives. Additional and yet avoidable delays result from having no long-term plan in place to address crews waiting with their patients at hospital emergency departments.
Many of these issues were addressed in the Strategic Plan developed by Dave Morhart in 2004. Sadly, the plan put forward at that time has largely been ignored, and we find ourselves moving backward rather than forward in the delivery of pre-hospital care in B.C. Rather than committing to address these important issues, the BC Ambulance Service has promised more cuts which can only further compromise pre-hospital care in BC.
Is this the pre-hospital service we want for our friends, family, and all residents and visitors of the Province of B.C.? Please tell your MLA that you are concerned about the critical condition of the BC Ambulance Service.
For More information please contact BJ Chute, Director of Public Education for the Ambulance Paramedics of BC:
Email bjchute@telus.net
Phone (604) 273-5722
Toll free 1-866-273-5766
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