PEOPLE in Surrey will soon get faster access to care closer to home after an investment of more than $33 million to improve access to emergency care and diagnostics at Surrey Memorial Hospital and to increase community services for seniors.
“Surrey is one of B.C.’s faster-growing communities and we need to ensure that our health-care system keeps up,” said Ravi Kahlon, Minister of Health, on Friday. “These investments will help people get through the emergency room faster, get their imaging and diagnosis more rapidly and help move people into more appropriate care.”
Government and Fraser Health will establish a dedicated front-door triage team at Surrey Memorial Hospital to assess and prioritize patients earlier and will create an ED satellite centre that will focus on patients with less urgent needs. Laboratory and X-ray services will be available at the centre, making it the first government-funded centre of its kind in the region.
Surrey Hospitals Foundation has committed to launching a campaign that will help to fund essential equipment and help realize this opportunity to strengthen emergency care at Surrey Memorial Hospital and support the new centre.
“People in Surrey deserve health-care facilities and services that keep pace with the needs of their growing community,” said Bowinn Ma, Minister of Infrastructure. “We’re investing in modern medical imaging, additional capacity and flexible health-care spaces to help ensure people can get the care they need, when they need it.”
Care will be available for patients with less urgent, non-life-threatening conditions, such as sprains, minor cuts requiring stitches and minor pains. It will operate as an extension of the emergency department and will be fully integrated with services and health-care workers already at the hospital.
The front-door team will rapidly assess patients as they arrive. Patients with less serious needs will be guided to appropriate alternatives, such as the newly created ED satellite centre, urgent and primary care centres, virtual care and pharmacies. The team will include a registered nurse with experience in emergency care, as well as clerical support and a porter.
The team is expected to be operational in January 2027. Construction will be underway for the satellite centre in the next six months.
Government is also investing in new and replacement medical imaging equipment, so people in Surrey can get their CT scans done sooner.
Government will make access to diagnostic services at Surrey Memorial Hospital better by replacing the current 12-year-old CT scanner and adding a second one to support the busiest emergency department in the province. These scanners will help improve emergency, trauma, stroke, and inpatient access, while increasing service resiliency and adding capacity in Surrey. For patients, it means getting appointments quicker and in their community.
Replacing the scanner will take as long as 10 months to complete. Adding a second scanner will take approximately 18 months to install.
In addition to supporting patients at Surrey Memorial Hospital, government is also expanding services in the community.
During the next nine months, government in partnership with Fraser Health will focus on improving access to adult day programs and overnight respite services for the communities. These services are expected to benefit as many as 200 individuals and their families annually.
Adult day programs offer structured social, recreational,and health-related activities in a safe and supportive setting. Overnight respite services provide seniors with short-term, supervised care, while giving family and other unpaid caregivers a temporary break.
Garry Begg, parliamentary secretary for Surrey Infrastructure, said: “Families across Surrey need timely access to health-care services where and when they need it. These innovative improvements will strengthen health-care services for our fast-growing community by providing faster and better emergency and diagnostic care for people in Surrey and the surrounding communities.”
Amna Shah, MLA for Surrey City Centre, said: “I hear from people in Surrey about the importance of having timely, quality health care every day. These investments will make a real difference for people and families in our community, with faster access to emergency and diagnostic care and more support for seniors and their caregivers.”
Dermot Kelly, president and CEO, Fraser Health, said: “Today’s investments are about making it easier for people in Surrey to get the care they need, when and where they need it. By bringing together faster assessment, better access to diagnostic services and stronger community supports, we are improving how people experience care and helping them return home safely sooner. I want to thank our staff, medical staff, leaders and the Surrey Hospitals Foundation for their partnership and commitment to strengthening health care for people and families across Surrey.”
Nicole Robson, president and CEO, Surrey Hospitals Foundation, said: “Surrey’s growth calls for new approaches and investments in care that respond to the needs of patients and families. Surrey Hospitals Foundation is proud to work alongside Fraser Health and government partners on these important initiatives. Our donors have been looking for meaningful ways to support solutions that improve access to care. By mobilizing philanthropic support for priority equipment and innovation, the foundation can help enhance the care experience and strengthen Surrey’s health-care system.”
Quick Facts:
* Government is opening a new CT scanner opened at Kitimat General Hospital in April 2026, followed by a new CT scanner at Squamish General Hospital in July 2026.
* The Province has opened a new renal hemodialysis building and cardiac catheterization as well as interventional radiology suites at Surrey Memorial Hospital.
* Work is underway for a new Surrey Hospital and BC Cancer Centre.
* The SFU Stephens Family School of Medicine recently opened in Surrey, welcoming its first class of 48 students this year.
