BC Health Minister Kevin Falcon says the opposition is "mischaracterizing" plans by the Fraser Health Authority to convert 234 acute care beds into specialized units for long-term care patients.
Falcon says about 10% of beds are made up of patients receiving a level of care they don't require, such as seniors or people waiting for mental health services in the community, "We've added, actually, 300 acute care beds to Fraser Health since it was set up in 2002. And, we've got more coming. In fact, the new Surrey Memorial Tower -- the new six storey tower that we're going to be building -- will have almost 150 new acute care beds."
Falcon says Fraser Health is doing exactly the right thing by making sure "alternative level of care patients" are all within the same wards.
The BC Care Providers Association says the Fraser Health Authority's decision to convert more than 230 acute care beds into beds for so-called "alternative levels of care" makes sense.
But C.E.O. Ed Helfrich says moving more patients into long-term, residential care facilities must continue to be the primary goal, "There are a number of residential care facilities out in the community that interim beds or vacant beds and that's probably still a more appropriate and cost effective use, of having them out in purpose-built facilities."
The NDP maintains the change amounts to a loss of acute care beds, but Fraser Health insists there is no loss of beds and no impact on patient care.
