How can future developments plan for hospital overcrowding in BC?

By

NEW WESTMINSTER (NEWS1130) – How to prevent hospital overcrowding in a growing region like the Lower Mainland is a question many health experts are grappling with.

Despite the fact that Abbotsford’s hospital was overcrowded right after it opened, Fraser Health says it’s difficult to look too far into the future when predicting patient numbers for the redevelopment of Royal Columbian Hospital.

“Looking over a one to five-year time frame we can do fairly detailed operational planning. When we start looking five to 10 years out or 20 to 30 out we have less certainty about the accuracy of that because so much in the health system can change over that period of time,” explains Fraser Health’s Executive Director of Access and Capacity Optimization Tracy Irwin.

That worries NDP Health Critic Judy Darcy. “It seems to be that too much of what happens in health care is short-term, short-term fixes. There aren’t short-term fixes to the congestion,” says Darcy. “They absolutely need to be looking 10, 20 years down the road.”

The full redevelopment of the hospital is expected to include additional beds, a larger emergency department, a new surgical suite, and consolidation of critical-care beds. There will also be renovations and upgrades to existing spaces. Detailed schedules and costing are currently under review.

Top Stories

Top Stories

Most Watched Today