Today’s release of the Conversation on Health consultation documents shows that British Columbians have rejected Premier Gordon Campbell’s vision for private health care, New Democrat Health critic Adrian Dix said today.

“When Gordon Campbell launched the Conversation on Health, he outlined his vision for reducing public health care services and increasing for-profit care,” said Dix, MLA for Vancouver-Kingsway. “A vision that relies heavily on user fees for patients, and on the growth of private, for-profit clinics. The documents released today show that British Columbians have firmly rejected that approach.

“But British Columbians will have to be vigilant, because it is now up to the Premier to enact a plan based on the results of this Conversation. And it will be up to those who took part in the Conversation and who want our public health care system protected, to hold the Premier to his promise to honour what he’s heard,” said Dix.

Dix noted that the Conversation had a number of positive contributions from participants, which stand in stark contrast to the Premier’s for-profit agenda.

“I was impressed by the suggestions for innovation in our public system made by participants in the Conversation on Health,” said Dix. “Their ideas for innovation in the areas of chronic disease, health promotion and primary care, are a welcome change from the Premier’s version of innovation, which relies heavily on for-profit options.”

According to the Canadian Centre for Health Information, B.C. has fallen from second to sixth among the provinces in capital spending on health care, while its proportion of spending on private care has increased dramatically.

“We can do better in British Columbia, but only if we have a government that’s committed to supporting and improving our public health care system,” said Dix.