Conservative Plan Focuses on Rural ER Closures

Speaking outside 100 Mile District General Hospital on Monday, Oct. 5, Lorne Doerkson announced that a B.C. Conservative government would establish a $50-million emergency fund to support rural medical practices. Doerkson, the party’s interim leader and incumbent MLA for Cariboo-Chilcotin, said the funding aims to prevent closures and assist with recruitment.

During the campaign stop, Doerkson noted that the local emergency department had experienced 39 announced shutdowns throughout 2026, though last-minute locum coverage allowed Interior Health to reopen the facility on several of those occasions. Overall, the ER remained closed well over 30 times. Doerkson pledged to maintain approved 2026 healthcare funding levels, fast-track credentials for foreign-trained Canadian physicians, and recognize provincial medical qualifications automatically to aid frontline staffing.

Community Impact and NDP Response

Former Cariboo-Chilcotin MLA Donna Barnett joined Doerkson, emphasizing that local residents and seniors rely on the emergency room, with some traveling up to an hour and a half for care. Local resident Amber Vigh, whose nine-year-old son Carter died at the hospital from an asthma attack in 2023, also voiced support for keeping the facility open continuously.

In response, B.C. NDP leader David Eby and party representatives criticized the Conservative proposal, questioning how the party would fund its healthcare promises without making service cuts. The NDP pointed to their own strategy of funding system investments through a proposed tax on high earners and millionaires. Doerkson countered that the proposed tax could deter new physicians from moving to British Columbia or prompt current doctors to leave.

Centralized Waitlists Proposed to Shorten Surgical Delays

British Columbians undergoing surgery could soon choose their treatment location based on wait times under a new proposal from B.C. NDP Leader David Eby. Speaking in Coquitlam on Tuesday, Oct. 6, Eby outlined a campaign promise to establish co-ordinated regional surgical waitlists if his government wins re-election on Oct. 24. The initiative aims to match patients with available regional capacity, addressing wait times that currently vary between 10 and more than 50 weeks depending on the assigned surgeon.

Eby noted that the centralized system would allow patients to decide whether to undergo procedures at a local hospital, wait for a specific preferred surgeon, or opt for the fastest available opening anywhere in their region.

New Scanners and Targeted Recruitment Planned

Alongside procedural changes, the election pledge includes adding eight MRI machines—including one designated for Eagle Ridge Hospital in Coquitlam—and 10 CT scanners across the province. To operate the expanded diagnostic equipment, Eby announced plans to broaden B.C.’s U.S.-focused health-care recruitment campaign. The hiring effort will target areas facing active staffing shortages, specifically recruiting surgeons, medical lab technicians, and medical imaging technologists.

According to NDP figures, the provincial government has added over 1,800 specialists, 21 MRI units, and 15 CT scanners since taking office in 2017. These additions have contributed to a 108 per cent increase in completed MRI exams and a 61 per cent rise in CT exams.

Specialists Raise Concerns Over Access Times

Despite these additions, specialist wait times remain a critical issue across the province. A June survey conducted with involvement from the Consultant Specialists of BC revealed that nearly one-quarter of British Columbians are currently waiting to see a medical specialist, with that figure expanding by 10 per cent annually.

Dr. Robert Carruthers, president of the Consultant Specialists of BC, stated that the Ministry of Health relies on selective statistics that obscure the full scope of the problem. Carruthers pointed out that official metrics focus primarily on the duration between a specialist consultation and the actual surgery, while ignoring the initial wait required just to secure a first appointment with a specialist.

While the provincial government maintains a public website displaying surgical wait time data, the platform only reflects a snapshot of completed scheduled procedures over a rolling three-month window and is updated bimonthly.

Political Debate Over Health Care Solutions

Eby framed the upcoming provincial vote around healthcare access, contrasting his platform’s focus on diagnostic expansion against opposition proposals. The announcement arrived one day after B.C. Conservative Leader Lorne Doerkson pledged a $50-million dedicated fund aimed at preventing rural emergency room closures.

Vascular Research Reveals Link to ASD Symptoms

Restoring the proper function of endothelial cells in the brain may offer a novel way to alleviate behavioral symptoms connected to autism spectrum disorder (ASD), according to new research published in the journal Neuron (DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2026.09.009).

Led by former doctoral student Julie Ouellette, the study examined how vascular dysfunction during early brain development impacts later behavior. Endothelial cells typically enable blood to swiftly reach active areas of the brain. However, in models featuring autism-associated mutations, such as the 16p11.2 deletion, these cells fail to react with sufficient speed.

Early Brain Development and Next Steps

The research links this early vascular impairment directly to later behavioral issues, including motor learning difficulties, repetitive movements, and hyperactivity. Identifying a method to restore appropriate endothelial cell activity presents a potential approach to treating these symptoms.

For inquiries regarding the study, Senior Communications Specialist Amelia Buchanan at the Ottawa Hospital Research Institute serves as the media contact at 613-297-8315 or ambuchanan@ohri.ca.