B.C.’s rural health critic points at alleged failures at VJH, calls for independent audits

Jun 18, 2025 | 1:27 PM

B.C.’s Critic for Rural Health is calling for actions to address issues at Vernon Jubilee Hospital and the entire provincial health care system.

In a release, Brennan Day, Conservative MLA ofr Courtenay-Comox and Official Opposition Critic for Rural Health, said alleged accounts from frontline nurses at Vernon Jubilee Hospital (VJH) show systemic failure in provincial healthcare delivery.

“This is a disaster waiting to happen, and no amount of spin from Interior Health can cover up the reality on the ground,” Day, said.

“Nurses are being muzzled, overworked, and ignored while patients suffer in understaffed ERs and maternity wards. This government has allowed an administrative bloat to flourish while front-line care collapses.”

Day said whistleblower nurses who spoke to members of the media said VJH was “so short-staffed that ER nurses are being asked to cover obstetrics without proper training.” He also said there were regular violent incidents in pediatrics and maternity, leading to staff “fleeing en masse.”

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“These stories are horrifying but not surprising,” Day said.

“This is what happens when you centralize decision-making, ignore local expertise, and bury problems with PR instead of solutions.”

With these reports in mind, Day called for all health authorities to undergo an independent audit, starting with Interior Health.

“It’s time to follow the money. British Columbians deserve to know where their healthcare dollars are going, because they clearly aren’t reaching patients,” Day stated.

“We need transparency, accountability, and a reallocation of funds from bloated administration to bedside care.”

Additionally, Day’s release stated that the Conservative MLA had launched “a confidential Rural Health Tip Line for healthcare workers, patients, and families to share their stories of systemic failures in B.C.’s healthcare system.”

The release did not include a phone number for the Rural Health Tip Line, instead asking British Columbians to contact Day’s office via email

by Liam Verster

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