BC Conservatives call for measures to ‘stabilize’ Interior Health following more resignations

The BC Conservatives are sounding the alarm after four psychiatrists at Vernon Jubilee Hospital (VJH) announced their resignations this week.

According to a media report and a BC Conservative statement, the psychiatrists cited “overwhelming workloads and lack of support” in their resignations.

The resignations at VJH come after the pediatric unit at Kelowna General Hospital closed for nearly two months earlier this year due to staffing shortages, and more recently, seven obstetrician-gynecologists resigned en masse from Royal Inland Hospital in Kamloops.

“I am gravely concerned about the future of healthcare in BC and in the Interior. We have toxic workplaces and completely overwhelmed and overworked frontline workers. Interior Health fails to plan ahead and this government fails to push for the change that is needed,” said Kristina Loewen, MLA for Kelowna-Centre.

“First pediatricians in Kelowna, then OB-GYNs in Kamloops, and now psychiatrists in Vernon. Families are losing access to care, frontline workers are burning out, and the Minister of Health is still pretending it’s all under control.”

When asked why the psychiatrists resigned in Vernon, Interior Health stated that the local psychiatrists made their decisions for separate and unrelated personal reasons.

The Health Authority did not directly address reports that overwhelming workloads and a lack of support were reasons for the resignations.

“We want to thank these physicians for their years of dedicated service to the inpatient and acute care services at the hospital,” wrote Interior Health.

“Three of these physicians have informed us that they will continue to support local services through their community practices, which we anticipate will positively impact access and continuity of care for clients needing ongoing care.”

The health authority added that it is working with the psychiatrists to finalize transition plans and there are six additional psychiatrists under contract to provide acute care services at VJH, as well as support from locum psychiatrists.

“We are working with the Provincial Services Authority and other partners to recruit new psychiatrists, support our workers and stabilize acute services in the region,” added a statement from Interior Health.

Earlier this week, the seven Kamloops OB-GYNs who handed in their resignation earlier this month released a statement explaining their decision to step back from their in-hospital privileges.

“Most of us have spent over a decade dedicated to providing patient care at Royal Inland Hospital and improving women’s health,” the statement said.

“When we collectively handed in our intent to resign, we did so only after years of asking for help to improve care for the better and not receiving it.”

The doctors explained that they are facing extreme burnout, with some OB-GYNs working multiple 24-hour on-call shifts in the same week and often working 60-80 hours in a week.

OB-GYNs in Kamloops also said that when on call for 24 hours, they tend to obstetrical emergencies and perform surgical assists, forcing them to be in two places at once and make “impossible decisions.”

“When we are forced to ration care, have patients wait longer than they should, or suffer the harm that long waits can cause, everyone involved experiences stress and moral injury,” the doctors said.

The doctors said that they felt they were left with no other choice but to leave and the resignation will happen in a phased transition.

“Every week, another part of our regional healthcare system breaks. People are exhausted and angry because this didn’t happen overnight. It’s the direct result of years of NDP mismanagement and neglect,” said Macklin McCall, MLA for West Kelowna–Peachland,

“The premier and his health minister need to stop with the nonsense talking points, stop hiding behind press releases and photo-ops, and start showing up to fix the mess they made.”

After a 15-week search, Interior Health recently announced that it would be sticking with interim CEO Sylvia Weir, who is currently not off to a strong start, according to Kelowna-Mission MLA Gavin Dew.

“I gave her the benefit of the doubt, but frankly, this has not been a strong start for the new Interior Health CEO. The people who hold our healthcare system together are walking away because they feel abandoned,” he said.

“This isn’t just about wages or recruitment. It’s about culture and confidence. Doctors, nurses, and patients have lost faith that the system will listen, fix problems, or protect them when they speak up. If we don’t see a serious change in direction soon, we will be forced to assume nothing has changed under new leadership.”

The official opposition said that it is calling for an immediate intervention to stabilize Interior Health.

Among the steps they say need to be taken include emergency recruitment measures, mental health supports for healthcare workers and an independent review into Interior Health’s management.

NowMedia has reached out to Interior Health for an interview on the matter.