Opposition says B.C. health minister should resign over private ER clinic

VICTORIA (CP) - B.C. Health Minister George Abbott should resign over a new private emergency clinic set to open in Vancouver, NDP Leader Carole James said Friday.

James said a private ER has no place in a public health care system, calling it another example of "credit card medicine." "If you have the money you get medical treatment," she said. "If you don't, you go to the back of the line.

" The False Creek Surgical Centre plans a test run of urgent care services next week.
James said Abbott seemed unaware of the move and he should resign as a result.
She said Abbott had claimed to be in the dark, unaware or investigating issues ranging from private surgical clinics to people paying for surgery to queue-jumping MRI wait lists.

"On issue after issue this health minister has said he's not sure what's going on," she said. "I think that shows complete incompetence and I think it's time for him to resign."
Abbott said the False Creek executive said in a letter and a phone call Friday with his assistant deputy minister that the new operation will comply with the Canada Health Act and B.

C.'s Medicare Protection Act..

However, it also said the intention is to charge an admission fee and diagnostic and treatment fees.
Abbott said it isn't clear to him how it intends to reconcile that with the prohibition on fees for medically necessary procedures under the two statutes.
"I've not yet seen any information or evidence that would lead us to conclude that they are operating within the bounds of statute," he said, adding that the matter is being discussed with legal advisers from the Ministry of the Attorney General.

He would not say whether he would advise the clinic operators to open their doors next week.
"They must operate within the bounds of those statutes or we would be obliged to take action against them," he said, adding that for the B.C.

government it is not a moral decision about right or wrong.
"It is the law of the province and the law of the nation."
Abbott said he won't lose any sleep over the NDP's call for him to resign.

The private ER scheme is also rubbing some doctors' and nurses' groups the wrong way.
Debra McPherson, president of the B.C.

Nurses' Union, said the for-profit emergency clinic threatens to draw nurses and doctors away from already understaffed hospital emergency wards.
Canadian Doctors for Medicare is calling on federal Health Minister Tony Clement and Abbott to review the proposal.
"Permitting this may lead to more crowded ERs in local hospitals and longer wait times for the majority of patients, who cannot afford to pay the cost of False Creek's services," Dr.

Danielle Martin said in a release.
She is a family physician who works in rural ERs in northern Ontario and chairwoman of the organization, which has 1,500 members.
In the same release, Dr.

Robert Woollard, head of the University of B.C. department of family practice, urged more investment in urgent care services and primary care reforms.

He said that would encourage better collaboration between primary care physicians and local urgent care services.
"This would be free up our ER time for true emergencies. However, allowing queue-jumping for a few wealthy people just isn't the answer.

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