B.C.’s health minister says 24 ambulance stations in rural communities like Ashcroft, Barriere, Lillooet, Sicamous, and Clearwater will transition from on-call staffing to 24-hour service.
Health Minister Adrian Dix says the expansion in service next month is possible as there will be eight full-time paramedics now in each of those communities.
“BC EHS has been working hard to roll out important changes to its staffing model across the province to improve services to patients and to stabilize paramedic staffing, especially in rural and remote communities,” he said Tuesday. “When you need an ambulance, that service is the most important government service provided.”
A further 26 smaller ambulance stations, including one in Blue River, will also be moving to a scheduled on-call staffing model on Nov. 1. He also notes it is the largest hiring push in the province’s history in rural and remote locations.
“Our new interim chief ambulance officer, Leanne Heppell, has been working with paramedic and dispatch leaders to ensure BCEHS is fully prepared for the continuing higher demand we are seeing across the ambulance system,” Dix added, noting eight new paramedics will be added to the City of Kamloops, part of 85 such positions meant for larger, urban communities.
“Our commitment is not just to Vancouver although it is to Vancouver, not just to Surrey, though it is to Surrey, not just to Abbotsford, though it is to Abbotsford and Kelowna and Kamloops and other urban communities, but to everyone in the province. And these announcements today and this effort reflects that.”
The province says the hiring of the 85 new paramedics as well as 30 new full-time dispatchers is underway, noting the positions should be filled by December.
“Since I was appointed BCEHS board chair, I have been busy visiting with paramedics, dispatch staff, other BCEHS employees and union representatives, and meeting with our partners in emergency services,” Jim Chu, the new board chair for BCEHS said, in a statement.
“I have been going out in ambulances with paramedics and observing dispatch operations to get a better sense of the front-line work. This outreach is informing the work BCEHS is doing with the Ministry of Health as we develop a longer term, three-year action plan to make further improvements to patient services and to support employees.”
Since 2017, the Province says the annual BCEHS budget has increased from $424.25 million to $559.12 million, doubling the average annual spending.
Since January 2021, they note 271 paramedics have been hired by BCEHS.
85 new paramedic positions to enhance services in some of B.C’s larger call-volume communities:
These paramedic positions will be going to stations in:
- Vancouver (4);
- North Vancouver (4);
- Port Moody (8);
- Burnaby (8);
- Surrey (8);
- Langley (8);
- Richmond (8);
- Abbotsford (8);
- Kamloops (8); and
- and Prince George (8);
- plus 13 positions not assigned to specific stations that will serve metro areas.
Conversion of rural stations to full-time staffing (known as Alpha)
Starting Oct. 29, 2021, the following stations will be converted to 24/7 Alpha, meaning they will all have a complement of eight full-time paramedic positions. There will be an additional 177 positions associated with these conversions.
- Ashcroft
- Barriere
- Bowser
- Burns Lake
- Chetwynd
- Clearwater
- Cumberland
- Fernie
- Fort Nelson
- Fort St. James
- Golden
- Houston
- Keremeos
- Kimberley
- Lake Cowichan
- Lillooet
- Peachland
- Pemberton
- Port McNeill
- Princeton
- Revelstoke
- Sicamous
- Tofino
- Vanderhoof
As well, 26 smaller stations that have moved to, or will move to a Scheduled On Call staffing model are getting more permanent, regular paramedic jobs, starting on Nov. 1, 2021:
- Alert Bay
- Atlin
- Bear Lake
- Blue River
- Cortes Island
- Dease Lake
- Edgewood
- Elkford
- Field
- Gold Bridge
- Granisle
- Greenwood
- Hudson’s Hope
- New Denver
- Port Alice
- Port Clements
- Riondel
- Sayward
- Seton Portage
- Sointula
- Southside
- Stewart
- Tahsis
- Texada Island
- Wells
- Zeballos
