Some B.C. cancer patients to be offered radiation treatments in Bellingham, Wash.

The British Columbia government says eligible cancer patients in the province will be temporarily offered radiation treatment in Washington state.

A statement from B.C.'s Ministry of Health says the initiative, which begins on May 29, could help as many as 50 additional radiation patients a week. 

Breast cancer and prostate cancer patients will be the first groups eligible to travel to one of two clinics in Bellingham, Wash., located about 40 kilometres south of the Canada-U.S. border., for treatment.

Health Minister Adrian Dix said the arrangement is temporary and aimed at getting people the care they need sooner, as the province works to expand its own cancer care services.

"This effort to secure patients the care they need beyond the borders of their health region and even beyond B.C. is not new," Dix said at a Monday news conference. "It's what we do and have always done: connect patients with the care they need."

Dix says the province is making the move because B.C. hasn't been meeting its target for ensuring cancer patients receive radiation therapy in a timely manner.

Nearly 83 per cent of B.C. patients are starting radiation within 28 days of the date on which they're ready for the treatment, a timeline that does not meet the clinical benchmarks the province has set as a goal, Dix said.

If the change doesn't lead to enough added capacity for radiation therapy in B.C.'s cancer care system, Dix says the program may be opened up to more patients.

Travel, meals, accommodation covered

Eligible patients will have the costs of treatment, including travel, meals, and accommodation, covered through B.C. Cancer and the Provincial Health Services Authority. Patients can be accompanied by a caregiver, who will also have travel, meals, and accommodation covered.

B.C. Cancer support staff will arrange appointments, co-ordinate travel plans and greet them when they return to their regional B.C. Cancer centre, the province says.

Patients and caregivers travelling to Bellingham will need to have valid passports and any applicable visas.  

Dr. Kim Chi, chief medical officer with B.C. Cancer, said the initiative will not just help patients who can travel but also benefit those receiving care in B.C. by increasing overall capacity. 

"We strive to deliver radiation as quickly as possible for every patient, but with the increasing demands for cancer care and radiation therapy, there's been increasing pressures on our staff and infrastructure to meet patients' needs," Chi said.

"With this announcement, we can take immediate action to improve access to radiation treatment for people throughout B.C."

In February, the provincial government announced a new 10-year plan to better prevent and detect cancer and make access to cancer care easier for all British Columbians.

The province said it will spend $440 million to expand cancer care teams and service hours, introduce new payment structures to attract and retain staff, as well as invest in new research and technology. 

More than 30,000 British Columbians were newly diagnosed with cancer in 2021. That same year, 11,000 people in B.C. died as a result of the disease.

It is estimated that 50 per cent of B.C. residents will face a cancer diagnosis in their lifetime.

Opposition parties condemn move

B.C.'s opposition parties blasted the move Monday, calling the decision a reflection of what they say is the province's crumbling health-care system.

Shirley Bond, the health critic for B.C. United, said the decision to send patients to Washington for treatment was an "acknowledgment by the government that we have a full-blown crisis on our hands."

"If you can imagine getting a cancer diagnosis, and then on top of that being told that you're going to have to leave the country for radiation, I think that most people will be shocked about the deterioration that we have seen in the wait time in British Columbia," she told CBC News.

Green Party Leader Sonia Furstenau said in a statement that people needed to receive health-care in the communities they lived in, so they can be close to family and support.

"There are serious questions to be asked about governance and operations at the Provincial Health Services Authority," Furstenau said. "This is just another example of the failure of leadership in health care in this province."