VICTORIA B.C. – Andrew Weaver, leader of the B.C. Green Party, released the party’s health platform today in Victoria. Weaver unveiled the platform at the campaign office of Dr. Chris Maxwell, B.C. Greens candidate for Victoria-Swan Lake.

“B.C’s demographics are shifting. Already, many British Columbians are not getting the health care services they need in a timely fashion,” said Weaver.

“British Columbians need an integrated, fiscally sound plan that invests in their health at every stage of life.

“Our healthcare strategy supports British Columbians to live healthier lives, and transitions BC towards preventive care. We will also make strategic investments to increase access to primary care and focus on addressing mental health and addictions.”

Key components of the B.C. Greens health care platform include:

Promoting wellness

Create a Ministry responsible for health promotion, disease prevention and active lifestyles.

Invest $35 million in nutrition and physical activity programs to promote learning readiness and improve student health in the K-12 public education system.

Prioritizing prevention and primary care

Establish a task force to develop a plan to transition the balance of resources between acute/chronic care and primary/preventative care.

Allocate $100 million for the expansion of support for interprofessional, integrated primary care by healthcare professionals such as physiotherapists, nurse practitioners and midwives.

Develop a proposal to implement an essential drugs program.

Providing effective and efficient acute care

Invest $40 million in new long term care facilities to increase the availability of beds in acute care facilities.

Establish an innovation task force to reduce surgery wait times across the province.

Addressing mental health and addictions

Establish a Ministry responsible for mental health and addictions, which will be responsible for developing and implementing a Mental Health and Addiction strategy and a Youth Mental Health for early detection of mental health illness.

Allocate $80 million to fund early intervention, youth mental health initiatives, supervised injection sites and community based centres for mental health and rehabilitation.

Implement an Integrated Primary Care model specific to Youth and Mental Health.

Develop an immediate response to the fentanyl criss based on successful programs in Europe that invest in treatment on demand, drug substitution, early-winning monitoring systems and coordinated response.

Supporting seniors and providing end-of-life

Invest $35 million over four years in home care to enable seniors and other people who need assistance to stay in their own homes.

Ensure the staffing at public and private care homes meets government guidelines and provide $200 million over four years to address staffing levels at public facilities.

Protecting children

Invest an additional $100 million over four years to enhance child protection services.

Identify strategies to address child poverty in the province, including specific actions to address poverty affecting Aboriginal children and families.

Work with stakeholders, including front line service delivery agencies, Indigenous people, local governments, educators, and community not-for-profit agencies to address recommendations made by the Representative for Children and Youth and the Select Standing Committee on Children and Youth.

Full backgrounder

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Media contact

Jillian Oliver, Press Secretary

+1 778-650-0597 | jillian.oliver@bcgreens.ca