Frustrated parents question status of promised Surrey hip clinic

It’s been two years since the province said it had plans to expand a clinic to help children with hip dysplasia and clubfoot. The clinic was supposed to open at Surrey Memorial Hospital, but many parents told CTV News they’ve received no update on the clinic’s status.

Nicola Robinson’s eight-year-old son Matthew was born with left clubfoot. She said the last time she received information about the hip clinic was in the Spring of 2022.

“We’re really left in the dark, and the upsetting part is not having that continuity of care for my child but also for so many families in the Fraser region,” she said. “It’s just not kids with clubfoot. It’s hip dysplasia, it's leg length discrepancy. It’s kids with any joint and limb condition that are being left really in the unknown.”

Specialist leaving

Robinson is one of hundreds of parents worried about the future of their children’s care – especially following the departure of Dr. Magdalena Tarchala, a paediatric orthopaedic sports medicine surgeon.

According to Fraser Health, Tarchala has decided to leave her practice at Royal Columbian Hospital at the end of this month. 

Robinson said she found out about Tarchala’s departure through a social media post through a Facebook support group.

“For us, it was very upsetting, unsettling, shocking to hear that she was leaving," she said.

In 2022, Ian Paton, a BC United MLA for Delta South sent a letter to the Health Ministry asking about pediatric care following the retirement of Dr. Shafique Pirani, a long-term physician who served the Fraser Health region.

In a response letter dated, March 29, 2022, Minister Adrian Dix said, Fraser Health was in the process of developing a comprehensive pediatric surgical program with a two-phased approach to enhance pediatric orthopedic services.

Dix added the first phase of this approach included recruiting a new pediatric orthopedic surgeon to replace Pirani, building additional capacity through increased operating room and clinic time, “and expanding services from Royal Columbian to include Surrey Memorial Hospital.”

Paton said he wants to see the province follow through on its commitment.

“Many, many promises, but we don’t see any action happening,” he said.

‘Services closer to home’

Lisa Bennett, a Canadian certified orthotist who has worked for Fraser Health for nearly two decades, said she was involved in conversations regarding the expansion of the hip clinic to Surrey but hasn’t heard anything as of late. She said she hopes the plans are still in the works.

“We should have our services in our communities and Fraser Health is one of the largest health communities I believe in B.C.,” she said. “We should be able to provide our services closer to home for families.”

CTV News asked the Ministry of Health and Fraser Health for an update about the clinic. According to the ministry, it’s working with the health authority on this project.

The province added that once the second tower is built at Surrey Memorial, it will allow for further expansions to current services like maternity, pediatrics and others. 

In a statement to CTV News, Fraser Health said: “In addition to our work to recruit a pediatric orthopedic surgeon to replace the departing physician at Royal Columbian Hospital, we continuously seek opportunities to expand our services to support our patients.”

The statement added that the health authority will have more to share in the near future as these plans are confirmed.