Temporary Maternity Diversions at Peace Arch Hospital and Ridge Meadows Hospital

Because of a temporary shortage of obstetrician-gynecologists at Peace Arch and Ridge Meadows Hospitals on select dates over the holiday season, people in labour who had planned to give birth at these hospitals may be guided to another maternity site to deliver their baby.

We know this update may cause concern as you prepare for your baby’s arrival. We are truly sorry for any added stress this may bring. The most important thing is a safe delivery for both parent and baby, and these steps are in place to ensure you receive safe, uninterrupted care.

A maternity diversion will be in place at Peace Arch Hospital during the following dates:

The timing of potential future maternity diversions is dynamic as we collaborate with our physician group to proactively address staffing gaps. Occasionally, we must also respond on short notice to cover unexpected absences due to sick calls.

If you have a physician or midwife:

• Your care provider will connect with you prior to your delivery so that you have the information you need and feel fully supported. They will instruct you to call the Peace Arch or Ridge Meadows Hospital Maternity Unit before you present to the hospital in labour or with a pregnancy concern. Staff will advise you to proceed to the appropriate hospital.

If you do not have a physician or midwife:

• If you are in the White Rock-South Surrey or Maple Ridge-Pitt Meadows communities and are in labour or have a pregnancy concern, please call Peace Arch Hospital or Ridge Meadows Hospital and ask to be connected to the Maternity Unit. Staff will advise you to proceed to the appropriate hospital.

If at any time you believe you have urgent health concerns, you should call 9-1-1.

Apart from the above noted dates, labour and delivery care continues to be available at Peace Arch and Ridge Meadows Hospitals.

Prenatal and postnatal care continue to be available through community health providers, such as family physicians and midwives.

For more information about how to access pre- and post-natal care, please visit our website.

Patients in labour or with urgent pregnancy-related health concerns are cared for in Fraser Health hospitals by obstetrician-gynecologist (OB-GYN) physicians and locum (visiting) physicians.

Due to the recent, unexpected departures of OB-GYNs at Ridge Meadows and Peace Arch Hospitals, there are some upcoming physician shifts that remain uncovered. In these instances, we will implement a temporary maternity diversion to support the health and well-being of our patients and their babies.

During a diversion period, patients in labour or with urgent pregnancy-related health concerns will be directed to another hospital to receive support from a care team.

Fraser Health is focused on ensuring maternity services across all Fraser Health maternity units remain consistently available to support our patients and their families.

We are working hard to recruit obstetrician-gynecologists to Peace Arch and Ridge Meadows Hospitals, using national and international recruitment to fill positions as quickly as possible. We are pleased to share that we have hired one physician at Peace Arch Hospital who is expected to join the team in Spring 2026.

In the meantime, we are working closely with our physician groups at both hospitals to actively recruit locum physicians to address service gaps. Fraser Health is grateful to our OB-GYN physician groups for covering as many shifts as possible, and for their partnership in working to secure coverage through locum physicians.

Over the past year, we have recruited six obstetrician-gynecologists to work at our hospitals across the region, helping to ensure adequate resources are in place for all communities we serve.

Peace Arch and Ridge Meadows Hospitals are experiencing increased demand for specialized obstetrician-gynecologist care.

This is due to several factors: fewer local family physicians offering maternity care, a decline in midwives providing full antepartum–intrapartum–postpartum services, and the increasing complexity of maternity cases.

These challenges are not unique to Fraser Health, as they are also occurring in hospitals across British Columbia and Canada.

Fraser Health is dedicated to delivering sustainable maternity services at Peace Arch and Ridge Meadows Hospitals, supporting patients and families in the Maple Ridge–Pitt Meadows and White Rock–South Surrey communities now and into the future.

We are actively working with our physician groups and the Ministry of Health to recruit and stabilize OB-GYN physicians at both hospitals.

Our focus is on ensuring safe, uninterrupted care for all expectant patients and families, and we will keep the community informed as we strengthen our staffing and resources.