VICTORIA – The B.C. Liberals’ much-needed review of the Fraser Health Authority is barely progressing as hospital overcrowding and hallway medicine compound a superbug outbreak at Royal Columbian Hospital,” say the New Democrats.

“The Liberal government’s failure to take action and address the chaos at Fraser Health is putting patients at risk,” said New Democrat health critic Judy Darcy. “It’s clear the issues of hospital overcrowding, hallway medicine and understaffing have not gone away, but rather are compounding the spread of a dangerous superbug at Royal Columbian Hospital.

Just last week Health Minister Terry Lake admitted that the Fraser Health review had faced delays over the holidays and that the review was on pause.

“Unclean hospital conditions and the treatment of sick patients in hallways are simply unacceptable and should never have been allowed to go on for so long. The health minister promised back in November that he would fix these problems, but it’s now three months later and the outcome of the review isn’t expected until early summer.

“What the health care system needs is leadership and measurable results – but all we’re getting from this government is lip service.”