Surrey is stepping up to help residents desperate for a family doctor. The city has opened its first city-supported medical clinic, but not everyone is in favour of the move. The Total Life Care (TLC) Surrey City Centre clinic will prioritize Surrey residents. It’s opening with three family doctors, all from the U-K. The clinic intends to employ a total of ten physicians in an effort to take some pressure off hospitals and emergency departments. “Too many people in Surrey have struggled to find a family doctor and that is why today is so meaningful,” said Dr. Karan Grewal of TLC Medical Clinics. Surrey Mayor Brenda Locke said the city is providing $100,000 a year to cover the cost of the clinic space. The city has a revenue-sharing model, agreed to in principle, that would see five per cent of net clinic revenues remitted to the city annually. “Healthcare is not the responsibility of local government, but the need in Surrey had become too urgent to simply wait for solutions,” Locke said. The mayor said Surrey has about 59 family doctors for every 100,000 residents, less than half of what Vancouver has. But Surrey Councillor Linda Annis said city hall is using taxpayer dollars to compete with local clinics. “I have concerns about using scarce taxpayers’ dollars to fund these clinics,” she said, adding that the city should instead be helping existing clinics. “Can we help them with incentives maybe around property taxes? Can we speed up their tenant improvements?” Annis said. However, Locke said she has had very few doctors complain to her about the city’s efforts. She said Surrey sought input from various groups, including the Surrey North Delta Division of Family Practice and Doctors of BC, before moving forward. Dr. Alexander Weinberg of TLC Medical Clinics explained, “We do not poach. We do not recruit from other clinics.” He also said that they are “…completely investing in out-of-province recruitment and out-of-country recruitments.” As part of the city’s Community Medical Clinics Initiative, Surrey intends to open ten clinics at a cost of approximately $100,000 each per year. A second clinic is anticipated to open in Newton this fall. Surrey’s model differs from the Colwood Clinic on Vancouver Island, which now employs four family physicians as city employees. Doctors receive a pension and benefits. The city handles the administrative side of clinic operations, including recruitment and payroll.
