The Office of the Auditor General of British Columbia presented its latest report, Access to Adult Tertiary Mental Health and Substance Use Services, to the Legislative Assembly today.
The report focuses on how B.C.'s health system manages access to the highest level of mental health and substance use services. The audit team 
found pockets of good practice, but more is needed to ensure that highly vulnerable patients – for example, someone suffering from an acute mental illness with a long history of hospitalization and substance use issues – can access the services they need.
The findings indicate that some people may not be well-served. These gaps in service are compounded by the lack of available resources for patients ready for discharge, such as appropriate housing, and pressures on other parts of the medical system, such as emergency rooms.
Barriers to access and discharge need to be analyzed and coordinated. Progress has been made, and the audit team recommends leadership from the Ministry of Health to keep the momentum going, set province-wide direction, and enhance collaboration with the health authorities for more consistency across the province.
A one-size-fits-all approach is not the goal. Different approaches and philosophies of care are necessary because patient needs vary across the province, but there needs to be some consistency to ensure fair and equitable access.
Click here for an audio/visual summary of this report.
