A New Health Care Administrator to Lead the Charge
In a pivotal move to tackle the ongoing health care crisis in Surrey, Mayor Brenda Locke has proposed a bold initiative aimed at improving health care services across the city. On May 1, 2025, Mayor Locke introduced a Notice of Motion that calls for the creation of a Health Care Administrator role, which is expected to bring focused leadership and increased advocacy to address the city’s health care inequities.
Surrey, a city with a rapidly growing population, is facing significant health care challenges despite being one of the largest municipalities in British Columbia. The population of Surrey is on par with Vancouver, yet the city is severely under-resourced in terms of hospital beds, medical services, and specialized care. Mayor Locke’s proposal comes in response to these challenges and aims to provide Surrey residents with a stronger voice in advocating for better access to health services.
Surrey’s Health Care Disparities: A Call for Action
Surrey, with a population of over 500,000, continues to face a shortage of medical services that far exceeds its capacity. For example, Vancouver, with its population of approximately 2.6 million, boasts 2,572 hospital beds. Surrey, in comparison, has only 671 beds, and even with the planned addition of 168 beds at Cloverdale Hospital, Vancouver will still offer more than three times the capacity of Surrey. Additionally, essential services such as maternity and pediatric wards are scarce in Surrey compared to Vancouver’s well-established health care infrastructure.
“The creation of a Health Care Administrator will mark a significant step toward health equity for Surrey residents,” said Mayor Locke during the council meeting on Monday. “These disparities are not just numbers—they represent the real struggles of our community: the anxious parent waiting in an overcrowded emergency room, the senior citizen stuck on a long-term care waiting list, and individuals with mental health challenges falling through the cracks.”
Health Care Challenges in Surrey
Surrey’s health care system is already stretched thin, and it is clear that immediate intervention is necessary. Some of the most pressing issues include:
- Overcrowded facilities: In 2024, Surrey Memorial Hospital delivered 6,000 babies, a significant increase from the 4,000 births the hospital was originally designed to handle.
- Family physician shortage: Surrey has only 59 family doctors per 100,000 residents, far below the provincial average and well behind Vancouver, which has 136 family doctors per 100,000 residents.
- Lack of critical services: Surrey is without essential services like a cardiology cath-lab, stroke center, and trauma unit, which are readily available in other major cities like Vancouver.
- Bed shortages: Surrey and White Rock combined have just 996 hospital beds compared to Vancouver’s 2,572. Additionally, Surrey only has 16 pediatric beds, compared to Vancouver’s 252.
- Mental health and addiction care: Surrey only has 84 mental health and addictions beds, while Vancouver has 377.
- Emergency care: Emergency doctors in Surrey are currently spending only 16 minutes per patient on average, while Vancouver emergency doctors spend nearly three times as much time with each patient.
The Proposed Health Care Administrator Role
Mayor Locke’s proposal is to appoint a Health Care Administrator within the City Manager’s Office to coordinate and lead Surrey’s advocacy efforts related to health care reform. The role would focus on finding solutions to Surrey’s growing health care needs by investigating successful municipal health care models, such as Colwood’s operational clinic approach, and exploring ways to attract more family physicians through community health centers and interdisciplinary care models.
The Health Care Administrator would be tasked with evaluating the feasibility of employing or contracting family doctors directly, as well as developing long-term strategies to improve access to health care services. The motion also includes a directive for city staff to report back with actionable recommendations within 120 days.
Taking Immediate Action: Health Care Advocacy for Surrey’s Residents
Mayor Locke emphasized the urgency of the situation, stating, “This is a call to action. Health care is a provincial responsibility, but municipalities like Surrey can’t wait any longer. Our residents deserve better.” The proposed creation of a Health Care Administrator would be a key step in ensuring Surrey’s residents receive the care and services they need, despite the overwhelming pressures faced by the city’s health care system.
City Council will vote on the motion at an upcoming meeting, and if passed, it could mark a transformative shift in how Surrey approaches its health care challenges. The outcome of this vote will be crucial in determining how Surrey can bridge the gap in health care services and improve access for all residents.
A Changing Landscape for Surrey’s Health Care System
The proposal for a Health Care Administrator signals a positive shift toward addressing the systemic health care issues that have plagued Surrey for years. If the motion is passed, it will serve as a critical step toward equitable health care for all of Surrey’s residents. The city’s leaders are calling on the provincial government to collaborate and support this initiative, as Surrey works to ensure its residents receive timely and adequate health care services.
Stay tuned to Maple News Wire for updates on Surrey’s efforts to reform its health care system and ensure a healthier future for all residents.
