Surrey council approves plan for two new medical clinics, boosting family physician access and long-term care for residents.

Surrey Takes Major Step Toward Expanding Medical Care

Surrey, B.C. – Big changes are coming to healthcare in Surrey. City council has officially greenlit a framework agreement with Total Life Care Granville Medical Inc. (TLC), setting the stage for two new community medical clinics. These clinics are part of Surrey’s ongoing effort to ensure residents have better access to family physicians and long-term care.

Mayor Brenda Locke emphasized the importance of this milestone. “Today’s decision allows the City to move forward with an experienced healthcare operator while ensuring that Surrey residents remain the priority,” she said. “This framework sets the foundation to bring new clinics online, increase primary care capacity, and support better long-term health outcomes for our community.”

Addressing the Family Physician Shortage

Currently, Surrey has roughly 59 family physicians per 100,000 residents—a number significantly lower than other similar metropolitan areas. With the city’s population continuing to grow, this shortage has created a pressing need for expanded healthcare access.

The new framework agreement with TLC is designed to tackle this challenge head-on. TLC will take the lead in planning, staffing, and operating the clinics. This arrangement ensures that while the City supports the initiative, it will not bear the responsibility for delivering medical services or managing operational risk.

How the Clinics Will Work

Under the framework agreement, the new clinics will focus on connecting Surrey residents with long-term family physician care. While walk-in services will be available to address urgent and episodic care, the primary emphasis will be on providing ongoing, consistent medical support for residents.

The framework also outlines a future collaboration with Simon Fraser University’s School of Medicine. This partnership could transform the clinics into teaching sites, offering hands-on learning opportunities for medical students while benefiting the local community with additional medical expertise.

In addition, a revenue-sharing model will help offset municipal costs, ensuring the clinics remain financially sustainable without placing undue strain on city resources.

A Thorough Selection Process

This step forward follows a competitive procurement process conducted in 2025. After a detailed evaluation of proposals, TLC emerged as the successful partner tasked with launching and managing the first two community medical clinics.

City staff will now work closely with TLC to finalize site locations and move forward with lease negotiations. Once agreements are ready, a report outlining proposed leases and associated costs will be presented to Council for approval.

If all goes according to plan, Surrey residents can expect the first two clinics to open by fall 2026.

The Broader Vision for Surrey Healthcare

The new clinics are part of a larger initiative known as the Community Medical Clinics Initiative. Its goal is simple but ambitious: to increase the number of family physicians available to Surrey residents and strengthen long-term care connections.

By improving access to primary care, the City hopes to achieve several outcomes:

• Reduce wait times for residents seeking family doctors.
• Provide consistent care to support long-term health outcomes.
• Offer limited walk-in services to manage urgent medical needs.
• Foster partnerships with medical schools to grow the healthcare workforce.

Mayor Locke highlighted the long-term benefits, noting that residents will not only have more doctors available to them, but they will also enjoy better continuity of care. “This initiative is about more than building clinics. It’s about building a healthier future for every Surrey resident,” she said.

Looking Ahead

As the city moves forward, Surrey residents can expect regular updates on the initiative. Final site selections and lease agreements will soon be finalized, and planning is already underway to ensure the clinics meet the needs of the growing population.

For those interested in diving deeper into the plan, the City has published a corporate report detailing the proposed framework agreement, which provides a comprehensive look at how these clinics will operate and the benefits they aim to deliver.

The Community Medical Clinics Initiative represents a proactive approach to healthcare—one that prioritizes residents’ needs while carefully managing resources and risks. With TLC at the helm, Surrey is on track to make significant strides in closing the gap in family physician access and building a stronger, healthier community.

In Short: Surrey council’s approval of the framework agreement with TLC marks a critical step toward expanding healthcare access. With two new clinics expected to open in fall 2026, residents will benefit from improved access to family physicians, urgent care, and long-term medical support—all while positioning Surrey as a leader in community-based healthcare solutions.