There’s a brand new health care option available for our patients in North Surrey – a place for timely, non-emergency care that fills the gap between a doctor’s office and a hospital emergency room.

On November 13 we opened the first Urgent Primary Care Centre in our health region, located in North Surrey in Unit G2 9639 – 137A St., near Surrey Memorial Hospital. This new health centre is designed to provide local residents with treatment for minor injuries and illness: conditions which do not need hospital level-care but which do require medical attention within 12 to 48 hours.

Now, instead of attending their local emergency room after hours for minor medical concerns, local patients can choose to visit the Urgent Primary Care Centre. The Centre has begun serving patients on a limited basis. Once fully operational in 2019, the Centre will be open extended hours, seven days a week.

This is the first of what will eventually become a network of Urgent Primary Care Centres in our health region – at least one in every municipality. These centres are part of a new primary health care model being created across B.C.

It’s important for all our health care providers to understand which services Urgent Primary Care Centres deliver – and which ones they don’t.

The Centre is:

intended to serve residents of North Surrey/Whalley, not all of Surrey, as other Centres will open in the future to service other communities

The Centre provides timely primary health care to treat:

minor pains such as sore throats, ear aches and upset stomach

minor illnesses such as fevers and infections

minor injuries such as sprains and small cuts needing stitches

Centre staff provide these services to patients:

access to primary care such as a family physician or nurse practitioner

attachment to a primary care provider for patients who do not have one (conditions apply)

mental health and substance use counselling

prescription renewals (no medication refills on site)

home health care and outreach to vulnerable populations

referrals to specialists and community services

The Centre is NOT an emergency room. It CANNOT treat:

serious or life-threatening injuries: patients should always attend their nearest hospital emergency room or call 9-1-1 in an emergency

chest pains, broken bones or head injuries: patients should always attend their nearest hospital emergency room for these kinds of serious injuries

Patients who live in North Surrey/Whalley can access the Centre by:

referral from a Fraser Health care provider to the Centre for follow up primary care after treatment in one of our hospitals or clinics

walking in to the Centre at Unit G2 9639 – 137A St. in Surrey and waiting to be seen, just as in a walk-in clinic

calling the Centre in advance at 604-572-2610 to schedule an appointment with a primary care provider, just as in a doctor’s office

To learn more about the Centre, search for “Urgent Primary Care Centre” on Fraserhealth.ca. You can also read an earlier article on the announcement of the centre. If you have any questions about the new Centre in Surrey, please email Centre manager Wendy Chusid.