Report suggests B.C. government paid $146M over five years to private health contractors

Since FY2018-2019, B.C.'s health authorities spent at least $146 million on for-profit companies providing contracted staff such as nurses, X-ray, CT and MRI technicians, sonographers, physiotherapists, perfusionists, pharmacists and laboratory staff. While the health minister blames the pandemic for the spending, it was revealed in the two fiscal years prior to the outbreak, YoY costs for private staffing doubled to nearly $20 million. In the most recently completed fiscal year, the total was $65.6 million. Nursing accounts for 96% of the overall total the province spent with private agencies.