At the March 28, 2022 Regular Council meeting, Council received an update from the Chief Administrative Officer about a meeting between BIM staff and BC Emergency Health Services (BCEHS) regarding BCEHS challenges with staffing for Bowen Island and recent disruptions in service.
The CAO reported that outcomes of the meeting included BCEHS correcting inaccurate information provided to BIM regarding recent gaps in staffing, BCEHS recognizing the need to improve their communications to BIM/BIFD and strategies to improve their recruitment process, such as including recruitment opportunities in the local newspaper and appearing at the annual Fire Department Open House event.
March 23, 2022
Leanne Heppell
Executive Vice President & Chief Ambulance Officer
BC Emergency Health Services
Leanne.heppell@bcehs.ca
Re: Continued Ambulance Service Disruptions on Bowen Island
Dear Dr. Heppell,
Thank you for taking the time to read and consider the following regarding the negative impacts current BCEHS (British Columbia Emergency Health Services) scheduling changes have inflicted on the first responders and community members of Bowen Island, B.C. While Bowen Island Municipality fully comprehends the staffing challenges that BCEHS is currently experiencing, we also feel it is necessary to thoroughly advocate to the best of our abilities on behalf of the health and safety of our community members.
BCEHS has long been a steadfast partner in emergency response for the rural communities of B.C. who often lack timely access to primary or urgent medical care. The mandate of BCEHS obtained from the official Provincial Health Services Agency (PHSA) website states the following: “BC Emergency Health Services (BCEHS) has the legislated mandate to provide British Columbia residents, visitors and healthcare professionals with pre-hospital emergency services, and inter-facility patient transfer planning and coordination.”
The newly implemented “scheduled on-call” system that has recently been adopted has consistently put BCEHS in contravention of their legislated mandate since its inception, with BCEHS service disruptions reaching significant levels that surpass anything experienced over decades of service provision. This insecurity of pre-hospital response has put increasing pressure on our community first responders, most of whom operate in a volunteer capacity. The practice of moving responsibility for a provincially regulated and legislated service from a government organization and placing it on the shoulders of a local volunteer battalion is both reckless and unacceptable.
Furthermore, a lack of formal communication around the availability of BCEHS at any given time has resulted in increased stress and pressure for first responders on island, in particular the fire department, while at the same time leaving the community uninformed and vulnerable. Thus far, Bowen Island has received no formal advisory when ambulance service has been unavailable and is relying on informal and unreliable modes of communication delivered just prior to the affected period.
While BCEHS has suggested that emergent situations might be handled by sending a unit from adjacent communities, the reality of this situation is untenable as it involves a round-trip on a BC Ferry, which may or may not be running on schedule and which only operate daily from 0520-2230 hours. A round-trip for an ambulance attending from Lion’s Bay or Squamish would take at minimum two hours plus driving time to Lion’s Gate Hospital from Horseshoe Bay. Air Ambulance services have also been suggested as an option for transport in serious incidents, however, the question remains as to how the patient would be transported from the scene to the designated landing site. Compounding potential complications with air extraction is inclement weather which often precludes local helicopter flight.
Finally, it is probably not necessary to remind BCEHS management that the citizens of Bowen Island continue to pay for readily available pre-hospital care. Staffing levels or adjustments do not excuse an organization from providing promised and paid-for service. BCEHS continues to downplay the situation by claiming inaccuracies in the reported number of unstaffed or under-staffed shifts and the resounding response to these statements is that the only acceptable number of compromised shifts within any community, especially one separated from urgent medical care by a large body of water, should be zero.
In his succinctly worded letter outlining the problems that have been created whilst attempting to force an urban-based scheduling system to effectively work within rural and remote communities, MLA Jordan Sturdy urged BCEHS to consider rolling back the implementation of this failing system and re-think a strategy that is beneficial to all B.C. communities. MLA Sturdy further mentions that Bowen Island had a perfectly serviceable system in place prior to the changes and that the new system has resulted in loss of valuable staff thus exacerbating the inability to provide consistent coverage. The municipality of Bowen Island supports MLA Sturdy’s observations and suggestions and further ask BCEHS to advise of specific policy and procedure around an official communications strategy as soon as possible.
While we recognize the spirit of the new scheduling system was meant to enhance the well-being of EHS responders as well as potentially better serve communities, it has become abundantly clear that neither of these objectives are being met within rural and remote settings. We, as a small community in British Columbia, would be remiss not to mention that the following municipalities and First Nations are also suffering because of these recently implemented staffing changes and may not have the resources for effective advocacy: Atlin, Tahis, Gold River, Alert Bay, Port Renfrew, Valemont, Mackenzie, Elkford, Dease Lake, Stewart, Galiano Island and Whistler.
The above-noted list is inclusive of only the areas we know for certain have been similarly affected and most likely BCEHS disruptions are being experienced by many more communities than have been mentioned here.
It is our hope that an amenable & timely solution to this distressing situation can be found with the cooperation of impacted communities, BCEHS, the PHSA and the Ministry of Health.
Thank you once again for taking the time to read and consider this correspondence. We look forward to your response.
Sincerely,
Gary Ander
Mayor
cc. Honourable Adrian Dix, Minister of Health
Jordan Sturdy, MLA, West Vancouver-Sunshine Coast-Sea to Sky Country
Liam Edwards, Chief Administrative Officer, Bowen Island Municipality
Aaron Hanen, Fire Chief, Bowen Island Fire Rescue
Christie Stashyn, Emergency Program Coordinator, Bowen Island Municipality
Enclosure: Jordan Sturdy’s letter to Minister of Health
January 28, 2022
Leanne Heppell
Executive Vice President & Chief Ambulance Officer
BC Emergency Health Services
Leanne.heppell@bcehs.ca
Re: BC Ambulance Service Disruptions on Bowen Island
Dear Dr. Heppell,
It recently came to our attention that BC Ambulance Service (BCAS) has implemented staffing policies that have left Bowen Island without ambulance service on multiple occasions since December 2021. This information was relayed verbally to our Fire Chief and later confirmed by the BC Ambulance Unit Chief for our area. As we understand, there have been several days in the past couple months where there is no coverage for ambulance service for up to eight consecutive hours, and in some circumstances there were patients who had to wait for BCAS service from Squamish or Lion’s Bay.
We are concerned that there has been no formal communication of these service disruptions to Bowen Island Municipality or the community. As it stands, Bowen Island residents are still under the impression that there is 24 hour a day, 7 day a week ambulance service on the island. This lack of communication puts our community at risk, especially those dealing with chronic conditions or potentially emergent situations, such as childbirth or serious motor vehicle accidents. At the very least, the community needs to be informed about the service disruptions in order to prepare a backup plan to ensure the health and safety of themselves and their families.
Beyond the lack of communication, is the real risk and harm to our community from this reduced service. Our island community has relied on this essential service for decades. The ambulance service has always been there when our community members need emergency medical support. It seems counter intuitive that as the BC Ambulance Service works to improve operations and service, some communities, not just ours, receive such a dramatic and concerning reduction of service.
We write to you today to request immediate reinstatement of 24/7 ambulance service on Bowen Island, and to improve coordination with the fire department and Municipality to support consistent application of medical standards, information sharing and improvements to patient care as recommended in the 2019 Auditor General of British Columbia’s Report on Access to Emergency Health Services.
Sincerely,
Gary Ander
Mayor
cc. Honourable John Horgan, Premier
Honourable Adrian Dix, Minister of Health
Jordan Sturdy, MLA West Vancouver-Sea to Sky