Nurses say patients at Surrey Memorial ER are facing unacceptable conditions

VANCOUVER – Fraser Health is defending Surrey Memorial’s new ER, despite concerns the facility may already be over capacity.

The Health Authority  says the patient load has jumped 27.5 per cent since the ER opened last fall.

With the old ER, the average annual increase was only six or seven per cent.

Nurses say patients are facing unacceptable crowding and lengthy wait times and some people are even being treated in hallways.

Meanwhile Fraser Health insists the new facility can handle the extra traffic. It blames any increase in wait times on Surrey’s growing population.

Fraser Health also says they are providing faster treatment for people who are critically ill.