Latest news with #ProvincialHealthServicesAuthority
Toronto Star
4 days ago
- Health
- Toronto Star
B.C. to restore housing aid to families with sick children in Vancouver hospitals
VICTORIA - The British Columbia government says it's working to reverse changes that slashed accommodation funding for out-of-town parents whose children received specialized hospital care in Vancouver. Health Minister Josie Osborne says she has asked staff to review the family residence program after receiving criticism for changes to the program that became effective June 1. Children's charity Variety, which administers the government-funded program, had recently announced that accommodation coverage was being reduced from 30 days per hospital visit to 15 days per calendar year. ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW Osborne says there had been 'no reduction in base funding' for the program this year, but she understood Variety's costs had increased, requiring the changes. She says she has directed the ministry to work with the Provincial Health Services Authority, Variety and others to ensure the restrictions are lifted as quickly as possible. Premier David Eby says he was 'incredibly concerned' to hear about the changes. The told an online news conference from South Korea, where he is wrapping up a trade mission, that the 'sole focus' of families should be on making sure their kids are getting better. They 'should not be full of anxiety about how to access housing or accommodation for their family (in) one of the most expensive housing markets in the world, Vancouver.' The program subsidizes accommodation for eligible families who live outside the Lower Mainland with children receiving treatment in Vancouver at BC Children's Hospital, Sunny Hill Health Centre, the BC Cancer Agency, or the neo-natal unit at BC Women's Hospital. ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW Osborne had been asked about the changes on Friday and said the health ministry had received a mandate to review programs, adding that her ministry would do everything possible to assist families. Reports about the cuts had sparked an outcry from the Opposition B.C. Conservatives, who blamed the government for the 'disgusting' cuts. 'It's unconscionable to place this financial burden on families already enduring unimaginable stress,' Opposition Critic for Health Anna Kindy had said in a news release on Monday before the government announced the policy reversal. This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 9, 2025.
Hamilton Spectator
4 days ago
- Health
- Hamilton Spectator
B.C. to restore housing aid to families with sick children in Vancouver hospitals
VICTORIA - The British Columbia government says it's working to reverse changes that slashed accommodation funding for out-of-town parents whose children received specialized hospital care in Vancouver. Health Minister Josie Osborne says she has asked staff to review the family residence program after receiving criticism for changes to the program that became effective June 1. Children's charity Variety, which administers the government-funded program, had recently announced that accommodation coverage was being reduced from 30 days per hospital visit to 15 days per calendar year. Osborne says there had been 'no reduction in base funding' for the program this year, but she understood Variety's costs had increased, requiring the changes. She says she has directed the ministry to work with the Provincial Health Services Authority, Variety and others to ensure the restrictions are lifted as quickly as possible. Premier David Eby says he was 'incredibly concerned' to hear about the changes. The told an online news conference from South Korea, where he is wrapping up a trade mission, that the 'sole focus' of families should be on making sure their kids are getting better. They 'should not be full of anxiety about how to access housing or accommodation for their family (in) one of the most expensive housing markets in the world, Vancouver.' The program subsidizes accommodation for eligible families who live outside the Lower Mainland with children receiving treatment in Vancouver at BC Children's Hospital, Sunny Hill Health Centre, the BC Cancer Agency, or the neo-natal unit at BC Women's Hospital. Osborne had been asked about the changes on Friday and said the health ministry had received a mandate to review programs, adding that her ministry would do everything possible to assist families. Reports about the cuts had sparked an outcry from the Opposition B.C. Conservatives, who blamed the government for the 'disgusting' cuts. 'It's unconscionable to place this financial burden on families already enduring unimaginable stress,' Opposition Critic for Health Anna Kindy had said in a news release on Monday before the government announced the policy reversal. This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 9, 2025. Error! Sorry, there was an error processing your request. There was a problem with the recaptcha. Please try again. You may unsubscribe at any time. By signing up, you agree to our terms of use and privacy policy . This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google privacy policy and terms of service apply. Want more of the latest from us? Sign up for more at our newsletter page .
Winnipeg Free Press
4 days ago
- Health
- Winnipeg Free Press
B.C. to restore housing aid to families with sick children in Vancouver hospitals
VICTORIA – The British Columbia government says it's working to reverse changes that slashed accommodation funding for out-of-town parents whose children received specialized hospital care in Vancouver. Health Minister Josie Osborne says she has asked staff to review the family residence program after receiving criticism for changes to the program that became effective June 1. Children's charity Variety, which administers the government-funded program, had recently announced that accommodation coverage was being reduced from 30 days per hospital visit to 15 days per calendar year. Osborne says there had been 'no reduction in base funding' for the program this year, but she understood Variety's costs had increased, requiring the changes. She says she has directed the ministry to work with the Provincial Health Services Authority, Variety and others to ensure the restrictions are lifted as quickly as possible. Premier David Eby says he was 'incredibly concerned' to hear about the changes. The told an online news conference from South Korea, where he is wrapping up a trade mission, that the 'sole focus' of families should be on making sure their kids are getting better. They 'should not be full of anxiety about how to access housing or accommodation for their family (in) one of the most expensive housing markets in the world, Vancouver.' Monday Mornings The latest local business news and a lookahead to the coming week. The program subsidizes accommodation for eligible families who live outside the Lower Mainland with children receiving treatment in Vancouver at BC Children's Hospital, Sunny Hill Health Centre, the BC Cancer Agency, or the neo-natal unit at BC Women's Hospital. Osborne had been asked about the changes on Friday and said the health ministry had received a mandate to review programs, adding that her ministry would do everything possible to assist families. Reports about the cuts had sparked an outcry from the Opposition B.C. Conservatives, who blamed the government for the 'disgusting' cuts. 'It's unconscionable to place this financial burden on families already enduring unimaginable stress,' Opposition Critic for Health Anna Kindy had said in a news release on Monday before the government announced the policy reversal. This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 9, 2025.
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Health
- Yahoo
B.C. to restore housing aid to families with sick children in Vancouver hospitals
VICTORIA — The British Columbia government says it's working to reverse changes that slashed accommodation funding for out-of-town parents whose children received specialized hospital care in Vancouver. Health Minister Josie Osborne says she has asked staff to review the family residence program after receiving criticism for changes to the program that became effective June 1. Children's charity Variety, which administers the government-funded program, had recently announced that accommodation coverage was being reduced from 30 days per hospital visit to 15 days per calendar year. Osborne says there had been "no reduction in base funding" for the program this year, but she understood Variety's costs had increased, requiring the changes. She says she has directed the ministry to work with the Provincial Health Services Authority, Variety and others to ensure the restrictions are lifted as quickly as possible. Premier David Eby says he was 'incredibly concerned' to hear about the changes. The told an online news conference from South Korea, where he is wrapping up a trade mission, that the 'sole focus' of families should be on making sure their kids are getting better. They 'should not be full of anxiety about how to access housing or accommodation for their family (in) one of the most expensive housing markets in the world, Vancouver.' The program subsidizes accommodation for eligible families who live outside the Lower Mainland with children receiving treatment in Vancouver at BC Children's Hospital, Sunny Hill Health Centre, the BC Cancer Agency, or the neo-natal unit at BC Women's Hospital. Osborne had been asked about the changes on Friday and said the health ministry had received a mandate to review programs, adding that her ministry would do everything possible to assist families. Reports about the cuts had sparked an outcry from the Opposition B.C. Conservatives, who blamed the government for the "disgusting" cuts. 'It's unconscionable to place this financial burden on families already enduring unimaginable stress,' Opposition Critic for Health Anna Kindy had said in a news release on Monday before the government announced the policy reversal. This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 9, 2025. Wolfgang Depner, The Canadian Press Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
Yahoo
25-04-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
New involuntary care beds open at Surrey detention centre
The B.C. government has opened 10 new involuntary care beds at the Surrey Pretrial Services Centre for people with severe mental health and drug addictions, an initiative Premier David Eby promised last year following a spate of violent stranger attacks in Metro Vancouver. The beds will be in a new mental-health unit at the provincial remand centre and available 24/7 for a small cohort of patients in custody, said Eby at a news conference outside the Surrey facility on Thursday. 'These beds are opening for men who are in the pretrial facility who are struggling with serious mental-health and addiction issues that have brought them into contact with the criminal justice system, and that are in mental-health crisis within the prison itself,' he said. 'By having this facility within the pretrial centre, it give us the opportunity to intervene to ensure that they are stabilized and supported and for those who can't be stabilized that they get the additional care that they need.' Eby acknowledged some groups are anxious about involuntary care given the legacy of institutional care in B.C. and sought to allay fears of drug users being forced into treatment. 'For the vast majority that is struggling with addictions, this has nothing to do with you,' he said. 'This is for a very small cohort of people who are struggling in a very visible, serious and public way where their own safety is compromised as well as the safety of the broader community.' He hopes having this level of care at the pretrial centre means judges won't have to choose between putting an alleged offender behind bars for the safety of the community but without adequate care or releasing them into the community to hopefully get the care they need, he said. Terry Yung, minister of state for community safety and integrated services and a former Vancouver police officer who has worked in the Downtown Eastside, said the initiative is a more humane and productive way to deal with repeat offenders with mental illness and addiction who cycle in and out of the system. 'We simply cannot police our way out of this,' he said. Before the new unit, patients with severe mental health and addiction who needed care while in custody had to wait in segregation for weeks for a bed at the forensic psychiatric hospital, said Dr. Daniel Vigo, B.C.'s first chief scientific adviser for psychiatry, toxic drugs and concurrent disorders. 'Through these concerted efforts, a patient will now receive the level of psychiatric care they need the moment they need it,' he said. 'This will result in the prevention of harms resulting in weeks of untreated agitation and psychosis.' The new unit will be operated by the Provincial Health Services Authority and staffed with a team including physicians, psychiatrists, registered nurses, social workers and an Indigenous patient navigator. On Thursday, staff was assessing one person at the pretrial centre for potential admission to the unit and four others in detention at another facility who may be transferred. The government plans to open another 20 involuntary care beds in a Maple Ridge facility later this spring and more than 400 mental-health care beds at new and expanded hospitals across the province, which can provide involuntary care under the Mental Health Act. Some groups decried the B.C. government's move toward involuntary care, saying there is no strong or conclusive evidence that it works. 'This is not an evidence-based approach to care,' said Aaron Bailey of the Surrey Union of Drug Users on Thursday, calling the government's pursuit of involuntary care 'political manoeuvring' that circumvents systemic issues. He said government should regulate the toxic drug supply and put more funding into voluntary care. Eby said involuntary care beds are just one part of the government's work, which also includes working to expand voluntary care access, early intervention and prevention treatment, and recovery services. He said his government has doubled the number of people receiving voluntary treatment through provincially funded addictions programs to 5,000 last year. chchan@ British Columbians want action to address addiction and mental illnesses, public safety and crime Opinion: Amid Canada's mental health care crisis, it's time to prioritize universal access to medication
