SURREY – Surrey residents now have improved same-day access to urgent primary care with the opening of the new Surrey Urgent Primary Care Centre.
This is the fourth centre of its kind to be operating now in British Columbia under the government’s strategy to transform primary care.
“The Surrey Urgent Primary Care Centre will connect patients with ongoing primary health care delivered by a team of professionals, as well as provide a same day-care alternative to waiting in emergency department,” said Adrian Dix, Minister of Health. “At least a quarter of visits to the Surrey Memorial Hospital emergency department involve individuals who should be seen by member of a primary health-care team, including a family doctor, nurse practitioner or other health-care professional. This centre will now provide that option.”
The centre officially opened Tuesday, Nov. 13, 2018, with a few scheduled appointments the previous week. Since its first day, the centre’s team has been attaching patients to primary caregivers. When the centre reaches full capacity, it will be able to attach up to 5,000 patients.
The centre will focus on attaching vulnerable residents who have complex care needs, including the frail and elderly, and people needing specialized mental-health and substance-use services, as well as residents of the North Surrey/Whalley community.
“This new urgent primary care centre will make it easier for the people of Surrey to access care that is appropriate and timely,” said Dr. Victoria Lee, Fraser Health’s president and CEO. “This multidisciplinary team-based approach to providing health care means people have access to a variety of caregivers to address their needs.”
As part of the new team-based model of care being implemented under the government’s primary care strategy, the centre has doctors, nurses, nurse practitioners, pharmacists, medical office assistants and other health-care professionals working together to the full extent of their skills, providing a broad range of services.
The centre is also providing diagnosis and care for non-emergency conditions requiring medical attention within 12 to 48 hours, including sprains, urinary problems, minor cuts or burns, lacerations, earaches and sore throats.
Local residents will be directed to the centre by community or hospital care providers and can also walk in. They can make appointments, including one-on-one visits and appointments with multiple providers.
Over time, the centre anticipates providing telehealth visits and home visits, in addition to group appointments for people with similar conditions. The centre also will provide outreach services, connecting nurses to community locations, such as shelters.
