As of October 29, 2026, the new BC Conservative government has not yet been sworn in, and almost none of its health promises are under way. The one item it has reconfirmed with a timeline is an expert commission, to be set up within 100 days of taking office, on keeping emergency rooms open and shortening waits. [1][3] No change to doctor visits, MSP enrolment or costs has been announced because of the election.
Election result and transition
- Election day was October 24, 2026. Preliminary results gave the Conservatives 64 of 93 seats, the NDP 27 and the Greens 2. [1][2] Mail-in and other ballots were still being counted; final seat totals are whatever Elections BC's final count reports.
- Leader Lorne Doerkson will become premier. The government is expected to be sworn in during November 2026; no exact date had been announced as of this update. [3]
- Kim Henderson chairs the transition team. [1][3]
- Health minister: not yet named as of 2026-10-29.
Health promise tracker (as of 2026-10-29)
Four statuses: Not started (no government action yet), Announced (specific plans confirmed after the election), In progress, Done. Until the government is sworn in, nothing is in the implementation stage.
| Promise | Status | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Expert commission within 100 days of taking office (the platform's "100-day Patients First review") to borrow proven practices from other public systems, keep ERs open and cut waits | Announced (reconfirmed Oct. 25; not yet created) | [1][3][4][5] |
| $50-million Rural Health Emergency Fund plus flexible staffing to prevent rural ER and maternity closures | Not started | [5][6] |
| Hold health funding at 2026 budget levels; make health funding the first decision in each budget | Not started (awaits first budget) | [6][7] |
| New women's and children's hospital in Surrey (no site, cost or timeline given) | Not started | [7][8][9] |
| Build the long-term care beds the NDP shelved; simplify design rules; portable public funding for the roughly 7,200 people waiting, usable at public, non-profit or private providers | Not started (the seven paused projects remain paused; the party has not named specific projects) | [5][10][11][12] |
| Faster credential checks for Canadians who trained abroad and are returning; automatic recognition of credentials from other provinces | Not started | [6][8] |
| End the current "safe supply" approach and refocus on prevention, treatment and recovery; mandatory care for people unable to care for themselves due to severe addiction or mental illness; treatment on demand | Not started | [5][13][14] |
| Stop illegal drug use in hospitals, shelters and publicly funded supportive housing; expand naloxone access | Not started | [13] |
| New MRI machine at Eagle Ridge Hospital in Port Moody | Not started | [15][16] |
| Free shingles vaccine for seniors, hearing-aid help for low-income seniors, more publicly funded home care | Not started | [11] |
| "Universal Health-Care Guarantee": treatment by another qualified provider when surgical wait benchmarks are missed | Not started | [5] |
| No new or higher taxes; raise the basic personal exemption to $32,000 | Not started | [7] |
NDP campaign plans will not go ahead
Several NDP campaign plans depended on the NDP being re-elected and will not proceed as proposed: a 2-point increase on the two top brackets for taxable income above $190,405 and a new 24.5% bracket above $1 million, planned for the 2027 tax year with revenue aimed at health care. [17] The NDP's pledges of eight MRI machines, 10 CT scanners and regional surgical waitlists were also campaign promises only. [8] Whether the new government adopts any of them depends on its own announcements.
What it means for patients right now
- MSP continues as before: as of 2026-10-29 no official notice has changed MSP eligibility, enrolment or coverage. BC residents still enrol through the provincial page, and applying is free. [18]
- After the election Doerkson said the government is committed to fully funding publicly accessible health care. [3] Actual amounts will appear in the first budget.
- Families waiting for long-term care: the seven projects paused in the February 2026 budget (Abbotsford, Campbell River, Chilliwack, Delta, Fort St. John, Kelowna and Squamish) remain paused, and the new government has made no decision on specific sites. [12]
- Tri-Cities patients needing MRI: Fraser Health said in July 2026 that the Eagle Ridge MRI would move forward once funding and approvals are in place. [16]
This page only records promises and progress from public reporting and official documents and does not evaluate any party. A campaign promise is not policy; official BC government (gov.bc.ca) announcements and laws are what count.
How this page is updated
- It is updated monthly, and the "updated" date at the top is the cut-off for every status in the table. Major milestones such as the swearing-in, cabinet list, throne speech or budget trigger an extra update.
- A status moves to Announced when a government release or major media report gives specifics (money, timing or the responsible ministry); to In progress when there is funding, a tender, legislation or a body actually set up; and to Done when the service is actually being delivered.
- Every change adds a new link in the source column, and older sources stay for comparison.
Sources
- B.C. premier-designate Doerkson urges unity and promises swift action after decisive victory (Black Press, 2026-10-25)
- 2026 B.C. election sees record low turnout as Conservatives win majority (Black Press, 2026-10-25)
- 'I will govern for everyone': B.C. premier-elect lays out new government's priorities (Daily Hive, 2026-10-26)
- Doerkson promises action on healthcare, affordability and economic growth after election victory (CKPG Today, 2026-10-27)
- Lorne Doerkson's Plan for a Stronger BC (BC Conservative platform, 2026)
- Lorne Doerkson pledges to create $50M fund to address emergency room closures (Black Press, 2026-10-05)
- Here's what the B.C. Conservatives promised to do when elected (The Canadian Press, 2026-10-25)
- What health-care promises have B.C. parties made ahead of the provincial election? (CBC, 2026-10-19)
- Conservatives promising to build a women and children's hospital in Surrey if elected (Surrey Now-Leader, 2026-10-15)
- Conservatives Will Build the Long-Term-Care Beds the NDP Shelved (BC Conservatives, 2026-10-09)
- B.C. Conservatives pledge to build more long-term care beds in plan for seniors (Black Press, 2026-10-09)
- B.C. NDP plans to resume seven paused long-term care projects if re-elected (AM 1150, 2026-10-05)
- B.C. Conservatives plan to hire more police, stop illegal drug use in hospitals, shelters (Black Press, 2026-10-06)
- Where the parties stand on the major issues heading into the B.C. election (Black Press, 2026-10-20)
- Conservative Party of BC will build a new middle school in Burke Mountain and invest in a new MRI machine at Eagle Ridge Hospital (BC Conservatives, 2026-10-14)
- Eagle Ridge Hospital's first MRI machine is on the ballot, Eby says (Tri-Cities Dispatch, 2026-10-06)
- BC NDP plan: higher income taxes for top earners (Daily Hive, 2026-10-05)
- Eligibility and Enrolment, Medical Services Plan (Province of BC)