Surrey is getting a new hospital, but when, where and how much it will cost remain unknown

The B.C. government says it’s moving ahead with plans to build a new hospital in Surrey.

On Monday, Health Minister Adrian Dix announced that the province was commissioning a concept plan for the proposed new health facility.

But with planning for the hospital still in its infancy, officials were unable to speak to key details about the proposed facility, including budget, size, location and completion date.

“Those are the issues that get worked out in those parts of the process,” said Dix.

“So we fully funded that, and really, it depends — in terms of the costs of hospitals — on the services that you’re going to provide there.”

The province says it is considering a variety of services to be based out of the new hospital, including day-care/short-stay surgeries, outpatient and pediatric care, specialty seniors’ care, pre- and post-transplant care, as well as training and education for health workers.

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Dix said the concept planning process will involve consulting with patients and health workers in Surrey to map out what is needed from the new facility.

But while most details of the proposed hospital remain unclear, Surrey Mayor Linda Hepner said one thing is certain: the city is growing, and fast.

“We’re now sitting at around 518,000 people, and by 2041 we will overtake Vancouver as the largest city in the province,” Hepner said.

Amid that population growth, the province says a new facility will take pressure off the already crowded Surrey Memorial Hospital.

Surrey Memorial is the second-biggest hospital in B.C., and has the busiest emergency department, according to the province. In 2013-2014, it saw nearly 120,000 ER visits, and 10,000 surgical day-care cases.

Amid the high volume, patients have complained about an overflowing ER, and “hallway medicine.”

The province has tendered a request for proposals to develop a concept plan that should be completed within about a year.

Dix estimated that the entire process, from concept and business planning through to construction of the new facility, could take between six to 10 years.