White Rock, B.C. – With population growth and underfunding leading to lack of critical health services, three foundations have joined forces to advocate on behalf of residents and patients in the South Fraser Region. Foundations supporting Delta Hospital, Langley Memorial Hospital, and Peace Arch Hospital announce the creation of the South Fraser Healthcare Alliance (SFHA). This new coalition was created to collectively advocate to the provincial government for equitable healthcare access and fair health investment for the South Fraser Region, including Delta, Langley, South Surrey, and White Rock. The Alliance is calling for healthcare funding, infrastructure, and capacity to keep pace with the population growth and increasing demand across one of British Columbia’s fastest-growing and most underfunded regions.

Because patients can’t wait any longer for healthcare services amid growing pressures on the system, SFHA is urgently calling on the Provincial Government to take action in four key areas:

  • Establish Fair and Equitable Funding for Fraser Health
    • Current analysis shows Fraser Health receives approximately $2,621 per person in healthcare funding annually, compared with $3,922 to $4,312 per person in other health authorities, a gap of approximately $1,300 to $1,700 per person.
  • Invest in Acute and Long-Term Care Beds
    • Fraser Health has the lowest hospital bed capacity per capita among B.C. health authorities, at 1.06 acute care beds per 1,000 residents. Average wait time for a long-term care bed is 402 days in Fraser Health, compared with 290 days provincially. Increased investments are urgently needed to expand acute and long-term care capacity, reduce emergency department pressures, and meet the needs of one of the province’s fastest-growing and aging populations. This leads to poor patient outcomes, inefficient use of government funds, and impacts on family earnings.
  • Modernize and Expand Community Hospitals to Meet Demand
    • Invest in surgical and ambulatory care, diagnostic imaging services, critical and cardiac care, and the infrastructure and equipment needed at Delta Hospital, Langley Memorial Hospital, and Peace Arch Hospital to ensure more residents can receive timely diagnostic and preventative care closer to home.
  • Integrate Healthcare Into Growth Planning
    • Ensure provincial housing mandates and regional population growth are accompanied by corresponding investments in healthcare infrastructure and capacity.

After nearly 45 years living in South Surrey, Tom McIntosh is now stuck in temporary care at Peace Arch Hospital’s Weatherby Pavilion after his old age and declining health, caused by chronic pulmonary disease, a leg injury, and other mobility issues, made it unsafe for him to return home independently. He has been there for approximately five weeks, following several weeks in hospital, waiting for a long-term care placement with no clear sense of when one will become available.

“The hardest part is feeling stuck. Physically, I’m stuck in a bed or a wheelchair, but I’m also stuck in the system, waiting for a long-term care home and not knowing when a space will become available,” says Tom. “I’m brought to tears over the fear that I’ll stay in this holding pattern forever and spend the last days of life waiting for care that may never come. I’d like to feel like I have a home again.”

Tom McIntosh, South Surrey Resident for 45+ years and Temporary Care Patient at Peace Arch Hospital’s Weatherby Pavilion

Together, Delta Hospital, Langley Memorial Hospital, and Peace Arch Hospital form an interconnected network of community hospitals serving South Fraser. Strengthening infrastructure and capacity at each hospital will help more patients access timely medical services closer to home, while reducing pressure across the broader regional healthcare system.

“Having lived in the region for more than 50 years, I know how important it is to have a strong, local hospital,” said Peter Fassbender, Chair of the South Fraser Healthcare Alliance. “Delta, Langley, South Surrey, and White Rock are experiencing many of the same pressures as our population grows and demand increases. We established this alliance to speak with one voice and advocate for healthcare investment and regional needs.”

As South Fraser continues to grow, healthcare planning needs to grow with it. We cannot plan for new housing and population growth without also planning for the healthcare needs of the people who will live here. That means ensuring healthcare infrastructure and capacity are part of the conversation about our region’s future. Visit southfraserhealth.ca for more information.

“As a group, our voices are stronger. We are advocating for investments into healthcare that meet the growing demands of our region. Given the rapid pace of growth in the South Fraser area, it’s imperative that regional growth receives corresponding investment in provincial healthcare funding.” – Stephanie Beck, CEO of PAHCHF