Patients call for urgent action as lengthy wait times for access to cancer care continue to persist
Vancouver, November 13, 2024 – As British Columbia’s new cabinet is set to be sworn in on Nov 18, people in British Columbia living with cancer and their loved ones are calling on the incoming Minister of Health to make cancer care a priority so that people living with cancer are no longer Dying to be a Priority.
Cancer Action Now, a national coalition of 40+ organizations, along with Save Your Skin Foundation, a patient-led not-for-profit group founded in B.C., dedicated to the fight against non-melanoma skin cancer, are issuing a mandate for B.C.’s incoming Minister of Health.
People in British Columbia living with cancer continue to face barriers at every step of their cancer journey. They are waiting up to four weeks to see an oncologist, and another 5.9 weeks for treatment. In fact, the total wait between referral to treatment for oncology in B.C. (9.9 weeks) is about twice as long as the Canadian average (4.8 weeks).
The reality is that people in British Columbia living with cancer are dying on lengthy wait lists as they wait for care. Many are faced with the devastating choice of putting food on the table or taking on significant debt as they struggle to afford the out-of-pocket costs that come with a cancer diagnosis, such as costs for drugs and treatments, medical transportation and accommodation and loss of pay due to inability to work, among other costs.
While British Columbia has taken some positive steps, there is much more work to be done. Cancer care advocates are issuing a mandate to guide actions that will promote better health and better outcomes for all people living with cancer in British Columbia.
Our proposed mandate to the incoming Minister of Health:
- Enhance the current 10-year cancer action plan with expedited investments in improving wait times.
- Increase investment in per capita spending on life-saving cancer treatments. This will ensure that British Columbians can access publicly funded cancer treatments and medications quickly. It will also improve access to innovative, new targeted cancer treatments and required companion diagnostics and testing.
- Collaborate with B.C.’s professional associations and organizations to develop an evergreen, comprehensive, oncology-focused human resources strategy that reflects the current and future needs spanning across the cancer care continuum, including outlining staffing plans for new cancer centres in Kamloops, Nanaimo, Surrey and Burnaby.
- Host an annual forum for people with lived and living experience and patient representatives to share their perspective and engage in a collaborative rollout of cancer investments and commitments. This forum would also provide an opportunity to ensure an equity-focused lens is applied to all decision making in cancer care.
Investing in cancer care is an investment in British Columbia’s future.
Cancer Action Now and Save Your Skin Foundation are calling for action on these recommended solutions to build a cancer care system that serves the needs of all British Columbians.
Cancer Action Now Alliance
Cancer Action Now is a national alliance of patient organizations, professional associations, and life science companies who are witnessing the magnitude of the problem our cancer care systems and its patients are facing. We have come together to call on governments to address the issues in our cancer care systems so that Canadians with cancer have a chance to live longer, better lives than anywhere else in the world.
About Save Your Skin Foundation:
Save Your Skin Foundation (SYSF) is a patient-led not-for-profit organization dedicated to the fight against non-melanoma skin cancers, melanoma, and ocular melanoma through education, advocacy, and awareness initiatives across Canada. SYSF provides a community of oncology patient and caregiver support throughout the entire continuum of care, from prevention and diagnosis to survivorship. Please visit saveyourskin.ca for more information.