Conservatives’ $5 billion fiscal gap puts health-care investments at risk

COWICHAN VALLEY – A re-elected BC NDP government will open a new Urgent and Primary Care Centre (UPCC) in the Cowichan Valley, giving more people access to timely care for illnesses and injuries close to home while helping ease pressure on hospital emergency departments.

“People deserve options for getting health care when they need it, without having to wait days for an appointment or turn to the emergency department,” said Debra Toporowski, BC NDP candidate for Cowichan Valley. “A new UPCC would help fill that gap by providing same-day care in the community, and make it easier for more people to get timely care close to home."

The new UPCC would be the second in the Cowichan Valley, connecting patients with team-based care for non-emergency health concerns that require prompt attention. The current UPCC sees approximately 77,000 patient visits every year. Services can include treatment for minor injuries, infections, sprains, cuts and other common illnesses that need timely medical attention but do not require an emergency department visit.

The commitment comes as the BC Conservatives face a $5 billion fiscal gap in their plan, raising serious questions about how they would pay for their promises. The Conservatives have said health care would “bear the brunt” of spending cuts, putting investments in services like UPCCs at risk.

“Investing in health care means expanding access to services like a new Urgent and Primary Care Centre and the new Cowichan hospital, expected to welcome patients in mid-2027,” said Toporowski. “The Conservatives’ $5 billion fiscal gap raises serious questions about how they would pay for these services. The BC NDP is choosing to strengthen public health care by asking the wealthiest four per cent to contribute a little more, rather than giving tax breaks to the wealthy."

David Eby’s plan builds on the 48 UPCCs already opened across B.C. and includes tripling successful recruitment of health-care workers from the United States, coordinating surgical waitlists across regions to lower wait times, and adding more MRI and CT scanners to help people get the care they need sooner.

The Conservatives’ combination of tax breaks for the wealthy, a $5 billion fiscal gap and openness to US-style private health care risks shifting the system away from care based on need and toward one where people who can afford to pay can jump the queue.

People in the Cowichan Valley deserve a health-care system that puts patients first, expands access and delivers care when they need it. The BC NDP is focused on strengthening public health care for everyone – not putting its future at risk.