People living in Surrey and surrounding communities will soon have improved access to cancer care with the addition of a regional cancer centre at the second Surrey hospital.

“Nothing is more important than the health of your family, and for people dealing with cancer, having access to treatment close to home is especially welcome,” said Premier John Horgan. “The cancer centre at the new Surrey Hospital will deliver high quality, comprehensive and compassionate cancer care services for patients and their families in their fast-growing community.”

Services at the cancer centre are expected to include treatment, supportive care, research, education and innovative technologies, such as virtual health. The centre will also be a hub of excellence for clinical and academic activities in order to attract top professionals.

“The second Surrey hospital is not just a community hospital, it's a state-of-the art, 21st-century centre for health care, which has now expanded to include cancer treatment services,” said Adrian Dix, Minister of Health. “Though the rapidly growing city of Surrey is young, it also has an increasing population of seniors. This means the demand for cancer care will also increase, and our government is taking immediate action to improve health care for people living in this region for years to come.”

This will be B.C.’s seventh regional cancer centre, with existing centres in Surrey Memorial Hospital, as well as Abbotsford, Vancouver, Kelowna, Prince George and Victoria.

“Cancer is a very complex disease requiring specialized infrastructure and equipment. While B.C. has some of the best outcomes in Canada, we must continue to build provincial capacity to ensure we are meeting the needs of our population,” said Benoit Morin, president and chief executive officer, Provincial Health Services Authority. “I would like to express my thanks to Premier Horgan, Minister Dix and our partners at Fraser Health for supporting us as we look forward to building a stronger cancer care system across the province.”

Surrey’s new hospital will be built in Cloverdale beside the Kwantlen Polytechnic University campus at 5500 180 St.

“BC Cancer-Surrey opened 25 years ago and we have been an important part of the community for decades,” said Dr. Kim Nguyen Chi, vice-president and chief medical officer, BC Cancer. "We all know someone who has been touched by cancer. Our talented and dedicated staff don’t just provide cancer care; they provide support during a very difficult and stressful time for most people. Our second centre in Surrey shows a commitment to providing person-centred care and supporting people where they are in the community.”

The business-plan phase, confirming project scope and budget for the facility, has been underway since December 2019 and is expected to be finalized by late 2020. The project will then proceed to procurement, followed by construction.

“A cancer diagnosis can be daunting and we want to provide patients with a seamless care journey so they can focus on getting well,” said Dr. Victoria Lee, Fraser Health president and chief executive officer. “We’re excited to partner with BC Cancer on a fourth cancer centre for our growing region, as having cancer care and other health-care services in one location means patients will have easier access to a spectrum of timely care when they need it most.”

Quick Facts:

• One in two British Columbians will be diagnosed with cancer in their lifetime, with many of the new cases occurring among people in the Fraser Health region.
• By 2027, it is anticipated that one in three new cancer diagnoses in the province are projected to be in the Fraser Health area, 50% greater than the number of new cases expected for Vancouver Coastal Health in the same time frame.
• BC Cancer provides comprehensive, person-centred care that integrates patients and families, supportive care services, digital health technologies, cutting-edge research and individualized treatments. It operates seven regional centres throughout the province.

Two backgrounders follow.