Staffing issues cause Peace Arch Hospital to divert all maternity patients

Maternity patients set to give birth at Peace Arch Hospital in Surrey will have to change their plans.

On Friday, January 14, Fraser Health said that it would be shuttering its maternity ward starting on January 28, 2022, with no reopening date yet.

The temporary closure is due to “a gap in pediatrician availability due to an unexpected leave at Peace Arch Hospital,” said Fraser Health in a statement.

Now, people will have to go to Langley Memorial Hospital 25 minutes away instead for their deliveries.

You might also like:
• How the Omicron variant is impacting BC's emergency services
• COVID-19 testing centre closes in Vancouver due to staff shortage
• Massive volcanic eruption triggers tsunami advisory for parts of BC coast

Fraser Health said that they reluctantly put the extended diversion in place to ensure the safety of their patients, and the maternity ward will remain closed “until we successfully recruit a full complement of pediatricians to support maternity patients at Peace Arch Hospital.”

We have implemented this extended diversion to ensure we are able to provide the best and safest care for our patients at any time using our extensive network of hospitals and health care services. Learn more: https://t.co/S0WPZZj08p pic.twitter.com/D1PcDDX4m5

— Fraser Health (@Fraserhealth) January 15, 2022

The health authority said that it can be challenging to recruit pediatricians to work at smaller hospitals like Peach Arch that don’t have dedicated pediatric units.

According to Fraser Health, it’s working in collaboration with multiple groups and agencies to find long-term solutions that will provide consistently available pediatric services to the South Surrey-White Rock community.