Internal documents from Interior Health (IH) reveal that 1,586 patients died over the past year while waiting for medical imaging or elective surgeries.
The data, posted online by the public policy group , covers the period between April 2024 and March 2025. It shows were cancelled due to patient deaths. Another .
Among imaging cancellations, CT scans made up the largest group at 584, followed by ultrasound and vascular procedures (302), and echocardiograms (158). These three types of imaging account for 77 per cent of the cancellations due to death.
The internal memos note that it's unclear whether wait times contributed to these deaths.
鈥淭he reason for patient death is not documented in Interior Health, and is unknown,鈥� the memos state. 鈥淐onsequently, this report cannot be used to determine a correlation between the wait times for medical imaging, surgery, and patient death.鈥�
Still, the numbers are troubling for critics of the healthcare system.
Kelowna-Mission MLA Gavin Dew said the numbers point to government mismanagement and called for urgent reforms.
鈥淭his is the human toll of a collapsing healthcare system,鈥� Dew said. 鈥淭hese aren鈥檛 just statistics 鈥� every number is a name, a loved one, a family torn apart. A person failed due to government inaction and bureaucratic mismanagement."
He claimed that the data reflects a broader crisis.
鈥淔rom waitlist deaths to the pediatric crisis at Kelowna General Hospital, the NDP has clearly lost control of our healthcare system. British Columbians deserve urgent, common-sense reforms, not more denial and delay.鈥�
requested the data through the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act.
