British Columbia 2020 Election Campaign

The Canadian Cancer Survivor Network is once again asking questions of the parties and candidates during the 2020 British Columbia Election Campaign.
Their responses will be posted in this section as we receive them.

We hope that this information will help you when you direct your concerns to your provincial representatives.

To become involved in CCSN’s political advocacy campaigns, please contact jmanthorne@survivornet.ca

Question:

Dear Party/Candidate,

The Canadian Cancer Survivor Network (CCSN) works to connect patients, survivors and other stakeholder groups with decision makers and the wider community to engage in discussion and to act on evidence-based best practices to alleviate the medical, emotional, financial and social costs of cancer and encourage research on ways to overcome barriers to optimal cancer care and follow-up for patients, caregivers and survivors in Canada.

A recent CCSN-commissioned Leger survey of 1,243 Canadians revealed that the response to the COVID-19 pandemic has led to a crisis in essential cancer care across the country. Cancer patients, their caregivers and those awaiting confirmation of a cancer diagnosis faced and still face postponed and cancelled appointments, tests and treatment, causing heightened fear and anxiety, even as pandemic restrictions are lifted.

Here are a few responses we received in our Leger survey from cancer patients living in British Columbia:

“My fear is that since I am experiencing pain in other areas of my body other than where the tumor that was irradiated is located that there are other tumors that were not detected when I had a bone scan 11 months ago.  The level of fatigue and difficulty sleeping, even though I use a CPAP machine, is increasing my level of anxiety and frustration and that is creating more stress for my family members.”

“My concern is that I will have an undiagnosed melanoma that may not be treated as quickly as needed.”

In British Columbia, a CBC article published on July 21, 2020 states that “more than 32,400 people either had their surgeries postponed or not scheduled at all after non-essential procedures were cancelled on March 16, in order to free up hospital beds in case there was a rush of COVID-19 patients…Those patients left waiting either joined or remained on a pre-existing wait-list, bringing the total number of people waiting for surgery in B.C. to 93,000.”

The government of British Colombia has a critical role to play in making sure that essential cancer care is not disrupted by COVID-19.

Cancer can’t be cancelled or postponed. The delay and cancellation of cancer care due to COVID-19 has triggered another public health crisis. Cancer care and diagnosis must continue during any public health crisis affecting Canadians to save lives.

If elected, how will your government provide the explicit inclusion of essential cancer care in a second or third wave of COVID-19 and in all crisis and pandemic planning in the future?

Your response will be circulated to cancer patients, caregivers and survivors in British Columbia and included on our website at www.survivornet.ca. Links to your responses will also be posted on Facebook and Twitter.

“I certainly support including cancer care as an essential health service throughout the pandemic and beyond. Because my father currently has incurable cancer, I understand and appreciate the need for these services to continue no matter what else is happening. Cancer care must continue and be accommodated regardless and in addition to other pressing health matters that we face as a province”.

-Darryl Seres, Candidate in Boundary-Similkameen

“I agree that Covid-19 has caused tremendous stress throughout our healthcare system and required extraordinary action to protect the system from overload and the frontline workers. As a result surgeries and other treatments were significantly limited across the province. The action was preventative to ensure there was no system overload. This is not necessarily the situation in a second and third wave as we have already shifted and changed the behavior of the public and the posture of the healthcare system. As a result, we have seen many aspects of the system return to some semblance of normalcy. I believe that only in a case of an extreme outbreak would the decision-makers go to the extent of a shutdown we experience in Spring 2020. As a legislator through Spring 2020, I was very careful to not politicize the decisions of the BC CDC, scientists and experts. I believe these decisions need to be evidence-based and cause the least harm possible across the system.”

– Adam Olsen, BC Green Party Candidate

“Cancer can’t be cancelled or postponed. The delay and cancellation of cancer care due to COVID-19 has triggered another public health crisis. Cancer care and diagnosis must continue during any public health crisis affecting Canadians to save lives. I will do my best to represent cancer patients and their care and bring these issues to the forefront in the event I am positioned as MLA for the Prince George-Mackenzie riding.”

-Catharine Kendall, BC Green Party Candidate

“Thank you for writing to me. The backlog of surgeries and appointments for cancer treatment is unacceptable. As your Green MLA, I will work to make sure that cancer patients receive treatment quickly and efficiently. I will also urge the government to develop a comprehensive strategy for treating those suffering from critical illnesses in a timely way during a pandemic. COVID-19 caught too many governments off guard. Public health authorities have long warned that we need to be prepared for such an eventuality. Our healthcare system needs to be ready so that cancer patients are not left to worry and wait for vital treatments.”

-Lia Versaevel, BC Green Party Candidate

“I am really sad to know about the stories, but I think we can’t wait or stop the treatment in any condition, we have to provide the facility which will not be affected by any conditions or crisis. I am with you, and you have full support from my side.”

-Neema Manral, BC Green Party Candidate

“As you will have heard, the Green Party platform is heavy on improving our health care system. One of our guiding principles is Social Justice Acknowledging that all humans have a fundamental right to health, wellbeing, and freedom. I think that you will find the BCGreens will deal with issues such as those of the cancer survivors with compassion in our plans to come back from the Covid pandemic.”

-Peter van der Velden, BC Green Party Candidate

“It is difficult for me to answer this question, as our platform does not include anything about access to specialists’ services. Therefore, I can only provide an answer to what I would do.

If elected, how will your government provide the explicit inclusion of essential cancer care in a second or third wave of COVID-19 and in all crisis and pandemic planning in the future?

When the BC government closed down all “elective surgeries” to create more beds due to COVID, this was an exaggerated response given the lack of experience with a global pandemic. Now that the province is continuing to manage the pandemic, I would work to ensure that the Health Minister knows that Cancer care is not elective, it is essential.

Having worked directly with improving access to care for British Columbians living with type 1 diabetes (as I do, myself), I ran in this election to improve services for all people with chronic conditions and disabilities.

Seeing the gaps in my own party’s platform, I will resolve to join the policy committee and continue to petition the government in keeping the doors of access open for those living with cancer. Having had a partner that passed away from oligodendroglioma, I cannot fathom how devastated I would have been knowing that his life was cut even shorter, needing to wait for chemo or radiation treatment. (I am aware there are other therapies available and that each cancer presents differently – I am a clinical exercise physiologist) ”

-Stephanie Hendy, BC Green Party Candidate

“I hear you and completely agree with you.  If elected I will work with the BC medical community to try to speed up access to needed diagnostics and treatment. What I cannot promise is success, only to try, possibly by making more resources available.”

-Tim Cooper, BC Green Party Candidate

“Cancer care and diagnosis is crucial to a functioning healthcare system. Early detection and intervention isn’t optional – it saves lives. The NDP government is committed to building a new regional cancer centre here in Surrey, so such early detection and intervention can be carried out without straining the rest of the hospital system. As well, during the COVID-19 pandemic, we’re pushing through the backlog of elective surgeries and non-COVID related care at a remarkable pace, and we’re two thirds of the way through. Once we’ve caught up, our knowledge about the virus, increased PPE stocks, and prior preparation during the first wave will keep us from having to shut down our facilities again. Both sides of my family have been touched by cancer, and have cancer survivors among them – as I’m sure many families do. Early detection and prevention are, as a result, very close to my heart. I will work with the NDP caucus to ensure the virus does not hurt our early detection capabilities and will build towards the future with our new cancer clinics.”

-Bryn Smith, BC NDP Candidate

“This is an important question and I would like to look into it further after the election. Our party is committed to providing the best healthcare possible for all BC citizens.”

-Bruce Reid, BC NDP Candidate

“The COVID-19 pandemic has caused urgent economic, social and public health challenges. It is critically important that we work to ensure that people receiving cancer care receive their care throughout the rest of the pandemic. A BC Liberal government will establish an emergency Pandemic Response Committee to work with all parties and the Provincial Health Officer on a collaborative approach to managing the current and future pandemics.”

-Michelle Stilwell, BC Liberal Party Candidate