Brand new Surrey hospital will open without maternity ward

Surrey’s new $1.66 billion hospital project in Cloverdale will not have a maternity ward.

B.C.’s Health Ministry says the hospital, set to open in 2027, won’t have a maternity section due to staffing and operation issues.

“At this time, a maternity department at the new Surrey hospital is not planned. Projected short- and long-term volumes do not justify it and it would not be efficient from an operating and staffing perspective, considering the maternity departments at Surrey Memorial and Peach Arch Hospitals,” the statement reads.

Despite the plans to open without the maternity ward, the ministry said there is space for potential expansions in the future, and pointed to existing hospitals for current service.

“The site of the new hospital can accommodate future expansion, which in the long-term future may warrant inclusion of a maternity department. In the meantime, people in the region can continue to access maternity services at Surrey Memorial Hospital and Peace Arch Hospital.”

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This news comes five months after Fraser Health announced the temporary closure of the Peace Arch hospital, only to reverse the decision soon after.

Fraser Health president and CEO Dr. Victoria Lee said back in January that up to1,000 babies are born at Peace Arch Hospital every year, Lee says and said Surrey Memorial Hospital handles up to 5,000 births annually.

The Cloverdale hospital project will also include a child care centre and approximately 730 parking spots, which includes 375 surface spaces and 355 underground.

The construction of the hospital is expected to begin in 2023 and set to be complete by 2027.

With files from Denise Wong and Martin MacMahon