The province of British Columbia in Canada has broken ground on a second hospital and a cancer centre in Surrey.

The new hospital will provide 168 additional beds, a surgical/perioperative suite, virtual care options, and a second emergency unit, comprising 55 treatment spaces

In addition, it will house a medical imaging department, pharmacy, laboratory, and academic spaces, and a dedicated area for spiritual care.

The smart hospital will be fully digital and technologically advanced, representing one of Canada's first fully electric hospitals.

To oversee the design and construction of the new facility, Ellis-Don Design Build and Fraser Health signed a design-build agreement.

Alongside the hospital, a BC Cancer Centre will offer oncology services, with chemotherapy and radiation therapy facilities.

It will house a 50-room oncology ambulatory care unit, 54 chemotherapy treatment spaces, six linear accelerators for radiation therapy, and advanced diagnostic equipment.

The cancer centre is said to be part of BC's ten-year cancer action plan to enhance cancer prevention, detection, and treatment.

In addition, a 49-space childcare centre will be built on-site to support healthcare professionals.

The project is estimated to cost approximately $2.88bn. Despite this, the opening date for the facilities has now been pushed back to 2030, from the original target of 2027. 

Minister of health Adrian Dix said: “The new Surrey hospital and cancer centre gives us a rare opportunity to build a net-new hospital and cancer centre that will add much-needed capacity for health care services in the community.

“The facts are the people of the fast-growing Surrey community need a second hospital and they need it as soon as soon as possible.

“So, despite significant cost escalation due to inflation, supply-chain disruptions and labour shortages, we are moving forward to deliver the new state-of-the-art hospital and cancer centre.”