BC launches review into all health authorities

All health authorities in B.C. will undergo reviews, the Ministry of Health says, as it looks to “ensure support for front-line services.”

The news of the province-wide review comes as the ministry also announces that the chairs of the Provincial Health Services Authority (PHSA) and Fraser Health are retiring Monday.

“The Province is launching its health authority review to ensure resource allocations are supporting critical patient services and minimize unnecessary administrative spending,” the Ministry of Health said in a release.

“The Provincial Health Services Authority (PHSA) has been selected as the first health authority to undergo review due to its provincewide role providing services and an array of additional shared services, such as information technology and lab services, across the health system,” it added.

PHSA is responsible for provincial services such as BC Cancer, BC Children’s Hospital, BC Women’s Hospital, BC Emergency Health Services, and others.

“Government is committed to ensuring health authorities are functioning as effectively and efficiently as possible, and that programs and governance make sense when tackling the complex challenges facing health care today,” said Josie Osborne, minister of health. “That’s why we’re reviewing each health authority to confirm patients, their families and health-care providers are benefiting from the most possible and the best use of resources directed to front-line patient care.”

More to come.

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