My Fight for Canadian Healthcare: A thirty-year battle to put patients first

In 1995, Vancouver orthopaedic surgeon Dr. Brian Day opened the Cambie Surgery Centre, a private surgical clinic that provided patients with more timely care than could be found amid the lengthening wait lists of Canada’s public healthcare system. 

Cambie grew to accommodate surgical and procedural specialists performing procedures on up to 5,000 patients per year. It became the busiest private multi-specialty hospital in Canada.  

Cambie later became a target of the British Columbia government, which, despite referring patients to reduce its own costs and wait lists, sought to shut it down for operating in violation of the Medicare Protection Act. This triggered a legal battle that lasted over 13 years.  

My Fight for Canadian Healthcare is Dr. Day’s personal journey through a failing healthcare system that has deviated far from its intended purpose, ensnaring patients in long cycles of waiting and suffering. It lays bare the incongruity of Canadian governments holding fast to principles established six decades ago in the face of mounting evidence of patient harm. This book makes a powerful case for a complete rethink of how we deliver healthcare in the twenty-first century.