People in Surrey will have access to enhanced health-care services as plans move ahead for a new acute care tower at Surrey Memorial Hospital.

“Surrey’s quickly growing population needs health care to grow with it,” said Premier David Eby. “People need to know health care is accessible, not after a long wait or a long drive to another community. World-class health care should be available right here in Surrey. Today, I am announcing that a new acute care tower is on the way for the Surrey Memorial Hospital to help meet local needs by adding more hospital beds and more services south of the Fraser River.”

The new tower is expected to add acute and specialized care capacity to the Surrey Memorial Hospital campus, such as medical, surgical, pediatric, perinatal, women’s-health, and mental-health and stroke care. Planning will align with the ongoing improvements to the site.

“We’re making historic investments in health-care services that will make a huge difference in the lives of people in Surrey,” said Adrian Dix, Minister of Health. “We’re significantly expanding facility and human-resource capacities to meet the increasing needs of the growing and aging Surrey population head on, and now adding new acute care tower at Surrey Memorial Hospital. We look forward to hearing from health-care workers and community members during this crucial stage of the planning process to get input on the facility.”

During the next 15-18 months, the project will proceed to the business-planning phase. Consultation to support business planning will soon launch and include engagement with health-care providers, Indigenous partners, the community and local municipalities.

“This new acute care tower at the Surrey Memorial Hospital marks a significant milestone in our mission to meet the dynamic health needs of our growing population,” said Dr. Victoria Lee, president and CEO, Fraser Health. “Our vision for the cutting-edge health-services campus is to inspire innovation and excellence for our patients, families and communities, and to be the best place to work for our teams.”

The business-planning process determines project scope, budget, timelines and procurement strategy. Once the business plan is complete and approved by government, the procurement process will start and construction will get underway.

In June 2023, the Province announced 30 actions to improve access to health care for people in Surrey, which included reviewing site needs at Surrey Memorial Hospital. 

“Last summer, I announced 30 actions to improve health care for people in Surrey after meeting with and listening to the needs of health-care workers at Surrey Memorial Hospital, and we are already seeing great progress,” Dix said. “This announcement builds on those actions, as well the construction of a new hospital and cancer centre, and plans to open a new medical school, the first one in about 50 years in Western Canada.”

The Province is taking multiple actions to strengthen health care for people and families in Surrey. This includes building a second hospital and cancer centre, adding a second MRI and CT with cardiac capabilities, expanding primary care and building a second medical school, the first one in Western Canada in about 50 years.

Approximately 685,000 people live in Surrey, a number that is expected to continue growing. Surrey’s population grew at a rate of 3.8% from 2022 until 2023. Based on annual estimates, on average the population of Surrey grew by more than 2,000 people each month from 2022 until 2023.

Learn More:

To learn more about updates to the 30 actions at Surrey Memorial Hospital, visit: https://news.gov.bc.ca/30421

To learn about the progress on the short-, medium- and long-term efforts underway to support patients and health-care workers in Surrey, visit:
https://www.fraserhealth.ca/your-community/surrey/transforming-health-care-in-surrey#:~:text=Significant%20momentum%20on%20priority%20actions,transform%20health%20care%20in%20Surrey.&text=A%20%249%20million%20robotic%20surgery,medical%20technology%20and%20treatment%20options

A backgrounder follows.