Fewer paramedics on shift as BC Ambulance millions over budget

BC Emergency Health Services is cracking down on overtime in a cost-cutting measure, leaving more ambulances than usual unstaffed as front-line workers fear patients will face even longer delays. 

Several sources tell CTV News that BCEHS is running a budget shortfall of some $200 million, and on Wednesday, the agency did not dispute the figure, nor address how deep in the red it is.

The paramedics’ union is warning the Jan. 1 change in overtime policy is already impacting frontline workers, since many unfilled shifts are left vacant and fewer staff are fielding the same volume of calls, which is likely to lead to further burnout.

“(EHS) made several changes to how they're filling open ambulance spots and that's leading to a lot of ambulances sitting empty, province-wide,” said Ian Tait, communications officer for the Ambulance Paramedics of BC.

He says the union is facing a barrage of concerns from members pressured to fill shifts at the last minute, rather than weeks in advance, and working even more short-staffed than usual.

"We commonly see 20 to 30 of the ambulances not actively filled, and with this change in scheduling, we're noticing more than that number, and that's very concerning,” he said. “We always go to those life-threatening or code three calls, but the real issue is non-life-threatening calls, because we know from history that people that are still serious, if they wait for hours, they will become life-threatening.” 

BCEHS on the defensive

After years working full-tilt to address the soaring death toll of the toxic drug crisis, then being called upon to support critically-ill Covid-19 patients during the pandemic, British Columbia’s paramedics have also been encouraged to work on their days off to support rural and remote communities in the last several years. 

Emergency department closures due to shortages of doctors and nurses in rural and remote communities have become commonplace, prompting the Ministry of Health to ensure as many of the 184 ambulance stations in B.C. are staffed in order to respond to life-threatening injuries or transport patients to where they can get the medical attention they desperately need. 

“Overtime is not an efficient way to meet our staffing needs, nor is it good for staff wellness over the long term,” EHS wrote in a statement to CTV News after refusing to make a spokesperson available, responding well after deadline.

“Overtime hours continue to be available where and when needed.” 

The impact on front-line workers

Tait pointed out that allowing staff to plan their shifts in advance, as they had done for years, had helped them with work-life balance and the demands of being parents and caregivers outside their profession.

The Ministry of Health eliminated the controversial on-call model for smaller communities, turning part-time and casual positions full-time into stable full-time employment. Despite that, EHS has struggled to recruit enough new paramedics to keep up with retirements and resignations. 

The agency points to the pressures of of a growing and aging population, but it’s also difficult for many British Columbians to see their family doctor in a timely manner – if they even have one – and waits in hospital emergency departments have not improved. 

Physicians continue to warn that delayed health care can result in worse outcomes and more serious conditions when a patient’s condition has deteriorated to the point that they need urgent medical attention.