Mental health, substance-use zone opens at Peace Arch Hospital emergency department

The new mental health and substance-use treatment area is now open at the Peach Arch Hospital.

The facility is part of the expanded emergency department.

B.C. Health Minister Adrian Dix said it is an important facility for the area, as more services are needed for a growing population.

“The White Rock and South Surrey community is growing rapidly, bringing an increased demand for health-care services,” said Adrian Dix in a press release. “That’s why our government invested in redeveloping a number of areas at Peace Arch Hospital to better support staff and the needs of patients.”

Surrey-White Rock MLA Trevor Halford was at the hospital for the opening on Saturday.

“Representing White Rock here, I can tell you that the homeless, the mental health situation, has never been worse,” he said. “People need services, they needed them two years ago when this building was constructed (and) was able to treat people, but the fact that this minister didn’t make it a priority and the fact that he is here today to take a victory lap when (the government) is two years late is absolutely embarrassing.”

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The expanded emergency department opened in January 2022 and supported more than 58,000 patients between April 2022 and March 2023, which was a 10 percent increase from the same period in the year before.

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The expanded emergency department features 50 new single-patient treatment spaces, doubling its capacity. The department also includes a pediatric-friendly space.

“People struggling with a mental health or addiction crisis can be vulnerable and often need a quiet, safe place for treatment,” said Jennifer Whiteside, B.C. Minister of Mental Health and Addictions. “Delivering these services in a dedicated, patient-centred space at Peace Arch Hospital will be critical moving forward for people seeking emergency care in White Rock and South Surrey.”

For the Peace Arch Hospital renewal project, the province has provided $49.3 million and the Peace Arch Hospital Foundation provided $37.3 million, for a total project cost of $86.6 million.