South Surrey gets new Urgent and Primary Care Centre

A new South Surrey Urgent and Primary Care Centre (UPCC) was announced by Josie Osborne, Minister of Health, on Friday Morning.

The UPCC will open on Wednesday, April 15 and is located at 1711 152 Street. It will be open from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. daily, including statutory holidays.

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“People living in the fast-growing community of south Surrey will have more access to urgent and primary care at this new centre, helping them get the right care in the right place,” said Josie Osborne, Minister of Health. “This new UPCC will expand community-based health care and help to reduce wait times at emergency departments, so people get the timely care they need closer to home.”

The UPCC will reportedly offer a team-based model to provide urgent primary care within 12 to 24 hours. Staff will treat individuals with sprains, minor infections, and cuts requiring stiches. Medical imaging services will also be located on site, said the press release.

“Receiving timely health-care services and connections to specialized supports has a real impact on patients and families,” said Dermot Kelly, president and CEO, Fraser Health. “The new South Surrey Urgent and Primary Care Centre brings that care to people on a local level, reducing the burden of finding that care when you need to access it quickly.”

The province says the UPCC will accommodate approximately 57,000 patient visits annually with care primarily delivered with in-person visits and the opportunity for virtual care as needed, said the press release.

The South Surrey UPCC will focus on providing urgent, episodic primary care.

The UPCC will not match patients with a primary care provider but will help people with registering for a primary care provider through the Health Connect Registry, explained the press release.

The B.C. government says the team-based care model brings physicians, nurse practitioners, nurses and social workers. It will have a full clinical staffing with approximately 23 full-time care providers.

The centre is also designed to diagnose and treat a new or urgent health problem with the ability to refer to specialized services and support to help chronic health conditions.