While the review continues, the Province is acting on its early findings by bringing together administrative and corporate services across regional health authorities and the Provincial Health Services Authority (PHSA), including legal, supply chain, finance and human resources. The functions will be delivered through a new standalone shared services organization that supports all health authorities, allowing them to focus more on delivering better care for patients. The new organization will be established by spring 2026. Services will gradually transition to the new organization over time, and as details are finalized.

The changes will remove bottlenecks, reduce redundancies, improve supports and create more consistency and co-ordination throughout the system at a lower cost. It will also encourage innovation and the sharing of ideas that strengthen B.C.’s health system.

What to know about the review

• Over the next months, the Ministry of Health will work closely with the regional health authorities, PHSA and unions to plan for the new shared services organization.
• The health authority review will be complete in early 2026.
• Its findings and recommended changes will be released publicly.
• According to the Canadian Institute for Health Information, B.C.’s health-care system has among the lowest levels of administrative spending in Canada and its corporate services expense ratio has remained relatively stable in the past five years at around 3.5%, the second lowest in Canada and below the national average of 4.4%.
• The health authority review aims to further lower B.C.’s corporate services expense ratio.
• A 0.1% reduction in costs in B.C.’s health-care system represents approximately $35 million more funding available for front-line patient care.

Province takes action to reduce administration, prioritize front-line health care

The first steps of a review of the health authorities have been completed, which included reducing administrative costs, and work is underway to improve efficiencies and redirect savings to frontline services.

BC Gov News (news.gov.bc.ca)