Conservative cuts would put primary care at risk

RICHMOND -The BC NDP will build a new Urgent and Primary Care Centre in the Steveston neighbourhood. This will be the third UPCC opened by the BC NDP in Richmond, after the City Centre and Richmond East centres.

“As someone raising two kids and taking care of older parents, I know how important it is that health care is available close to home,” said Bruce Kong, BC NDP candidate for Richmond-Steveston. “The BC NDP has a proven record of improving healthcare in Richmond, and this addition to Steveston will make a huge difference for families.”

The new UPCC will offer team-based care for patients who have non-emergency health concerns that require prompt attention. Services include treatment for minor injuries, infections, sprains, cuts and other common illnesses that need timely care but do not require an emergency department visit.

The BC Conservatives have left a $5 billion gap in their plan for B.C., raising serious questions about how they would pay for their promises. They have said that health care would “take the brunt” of their budget cuts, which would put primary care services like UPCCs at risk. They have also opposed the BC NDP’s recruitment of US healthcare workers, which has already brought 800 new professionals to the province. The BC NDP will triple those recruitment efforts.

The BC NDP opened the province’s first UPCC in 2018, and there are now 48 of the centres around B.C. The centres have collectively provided more than five million visits to patients. This new UPCC is part of David Eby’s plan to continue strengthening healthcare for people. The plan includes cutting surgery wait times with coordinated regional lists and adding more MRIs and CT scanners.

In Richmond, the BC NDP is building a new acute care tower at Richmond Hospital, which will include a bigger emergency department, more operating rooms and more pre- and post-surgical care spaces, as well as a new ICU and short-stay pediatrics. Site preparation is nearly complete and major construction on the tower will be starting later this year.