Dependency on Private Agency Nurses on the rise
In 2022-2023, BC spent $162 million on private agency nurses, a significant increase from the $76 million spent in 2021-2022. Many of these nurses used to work within the union. This pattern of privatization raises critical questions: How will the BC Government stop this trend? Can they mend the broken trust with BC nurses, or has too much goodwill already been lost?
Better working conditions and genuine attention to nurses' concerns could have prevented this exodus. The alarming rise in agency nurse costs indicates a systemic issue rather than a temporary fix. Are these agency nurses part of the "new" nurses Health Minister Adrian Dix touts? This privatization approach is burdening taxpayers with costs over double from one year to the next.
2023-2024 may see even higher expenditures if this trend continues. More agency nurses don’t necessarily translate to more nurses in BC; it just means more nurses contracted through private agencies, leading to higher costs without addressing the underlying issues in our healthcare system.
For the sake of sustainability and efficiency, it’s imperative that the BC Government listens to and acts on the concerns of union nurses to retain and support these essential healthcare workers.
Camille’s video on the issue - https://vm.tiktok.com/ZMr2Qkjvs/
