LETTER: How to find timely health care in Surrey, White Rock, North Delta
Published 7:00 am Saturday, May 30, 2026
Editor,
On April 24, you published a letter from Meggy Du, describing her difficulty getting the health care she needed in a timely way.
We wanted to respond to Meggy and anyone else living in Surrey who might have had a similar experience:
Please be assured that you are not alone in having a hard time accessing a walk-in clinic. We want you to know that we acknowledge and understand this concern.
In recent years, there has been a decrease in the number of family doctors and clinics offering in-person walk-in services in our community, particularly during statutory holidays. This is because many family doctors have opted to provide longitudinal care (ie: taking on long-term patients) rather than walk-in services. This shift has enabled more patients to find a regular primary care provider, which gives them access to more complete and ongoing health care.
Although this can be a frustrating or even scary situation, there are other options for same-day access to primary care services:
• Your family doctor. Family physicians are often able to offer same-day appointments for urgent or time-sensitive health concerns. It is worth calling the office and letting the medical office assistant know the reason you are seeking an urgent appointment – your doctor may be able to see you quickly.
• Fraser Health – Know Your Options. Fraser Health virtual care services or a community pharmacy might be able to address your concern.
• Urgent and Primary Care Centres. You can visit a UPCC for urgent, non-life-threatening health concerns, like a concern about shingles. There are three in Surrey, one in South Surrey, and one in South Delta.
• Walk-in clinics in Surrey. This website shows where you can find walk-in clinics in Surrey and how you can contact them to ask about available appointments.
We also strongly encourage anyone who doesn’t have a family doctor to register with the Health Connect Registry to be contacted by your local Primary Care Network when a primary care provider becomes available.
Finding the care you need is not always straightforward, which can be especially difficult during a health scare. We hope this information will help.
Sincerely,
The Surrey-North Delta Division of Family Practice
The White Rock South Surrey Division of Family Practice
The Divisions of Family Practice in Surrey–North Delta and White Rock/South Surrey are community-based non-profit organizations led by family physicians (FPs) and are committed to strengthening the role, impact, and sustainability of family physicians in the delivery of primary health care.