Surrey prepares for arrival of new hospital

Responding to the explosion of population in Surrey in recent years, the B.C. government has committed to building a new hospital in the Lower Mainland’s second largest city.

The Ministry of Health and Fraser Health are jointly putting together a concept plan for the project, one that will help shoulder the load currently handled by the area’s sole major health facility.

“Surrey Memorial Hospital delivers first-class health care, but we recognize with a rapidly growing community that access to this care is becoming difficult for a great number of people,” said Health Minister Adrian Dix during an official announcement at city hall.

“We made a commitment to British Columbians to address this need and today we are taking the first planning step in making sure people living in this region have better access to quality care.”

The purpose of the concept plan is to address community needs and point out potential sites. Following review and approval by the government, the next year will be spent formulating a business plan. From there, the work can begin. Such a project typically takes anywhere between six and 10 years to complete.

Jim Sinclair, chair of the Fraser Health Board, acknowledged the importance of bolstering care services in a timely manner.

“With the continued growth of the community in the coming years, an additional hospital in Surrey will provide an opportunity to expand our care services to reflect the needs of the people living and working here,” said Jim Sinclair.

“We know the need for health care continues to increase and this expansion will ensure people can access these services when they need them.”