July 23,2025
RED FM News Desk
A record number of British Columbians are leaving emergency rooms before being seen by a medical professional.
The B.C. Conservatives have released what they call “devastating new figures” obtained through a Freedom of Information request to the Ministry of Health. According to the data, nearly 142,000 people in B.C. walked out of ERs last year without receiving care — an increase of 86% since 2018. The problem is even more severe on Vancouver Island, where the number of such cases has risen by 160% over the past six years.
Earlier this month, the provincial government highlighted its efforts to recruit doctors and healthcare workers from abroad, particularly from the United States, to help address staffing shortages.
However, MLA Brennan Day, the Opposition’s rural health critic, says those efforts aren’t delivering results. “I believe these numbers will get even worse next year. The Health Authority needs to take this issue much more seriously because primary care in B.C. is on the verge of collapse,” said Day.
He emphasized that just because patients aren’t immediately seen in the ER after triage, doesn’t mean they don’t need medical help.
“They’re not waiting around for twelve hours, but many still require care — especially those showing signs of heart problems or possible fractures. Right now, a lot of patients aren’t being properly assessed or diagnosed because ERs are so overwhelmed,” he explained.
Day partly attributes the issue to a decline in true walk-in clinics across the province. Many now require appointments and are not accepting new patients. He added that the shift to a “longitudinal model” for family doctors — rather than the traditional fee-for-service approach — while praised by some physicians, is still affecting the public’s ability to get timely care.
“With ongoing shortages of general practitioners and physicians overall, patients simply aren’t being seen. It’s a matter of limited time and resources, and sadly, we’re falling further behind,” he said.
The B.C. Conservatives are urging the province to create an immediate action plan to tackle ER overcrowding, critical staffing shortages, and excessive wait times. They’re also calling for targeted investments, stronger regional oversight, and a full audit of ER capacity, staffing levels, and transparency around wait times.
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