A well-known Surrey doctor is seeking the Surrey-Cloverdale seat in the next provincial election.
Dr. Claudine Storness-Bliss has announced she’ll run for the BC United party.
“I became a physician because I wanted to make life better for people,” Storness-Bliss said in a press release announcing her candidacy. “But increasingly, life for many is getting worse. As an OB-GYN at Surrey Memorial Hospital, I’ve seen first-hand the tragic consequences of the chronic, unaddressed challenges in our health-care system—but I refuse to accept this as the new normal.”
In the release, Kevin Falcon, leader of BC United, said Storness-Bliss is a “respected member of the medical community and a champion for health care at Surrey Memorial Hospital and around the province.”
Storness-Bliss said she’s chosen to run as a BC United candidate in Surrey-Cloverdale because she won’t accept this “new normal” state of B.C.’s health care system, calling it a “crisis” and saying there are currently many other problems the province has to face up to and try to overcome.
According to the release, Storness-Bliss has been warning the public about the “ongoing health-care crisis” in B.C. for awhile now and that conditions at Surrey Memorial Hospital continue to deteriorate, with overcrowding, understaffing and “unacceptable risks” to patients.
“B.C.’s health-care system is in total chaos, with tragic outcomes and health care horror stories happening every single day,” said Falcon. “Dr. Storness-Bliss has been a fearless advocate for change, and I’m appreciative that she is willing to dedicate her formidable skills to helping improve our health care delivery as a BC United MLA for Surrey-Cloverdale.”
According to the release, Storness-Bliss is an obstetrician and gynecologist with a special expertise in endometriosis, pelvic pain and complex laparoscopic surgery.
It notes she is a clinical associate professor at the UBC Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Division of Gynecologic Specialties. She is the former local department head at Surrey Memorial Hospital.
Storness-Bliss is also the creator of the interdisciplinary chronic pelvic pain clinic at the Jim Pattison Outpatient Care and Surgical Centre and co-director of the UBC Fraser Health Advance Training program in Minimally Invasive Pelvic Surgery and Complex Gynecological Conditions.
Regarding the next provincial election, the riding of Surrey-Cloverdale has changed somewhat. The western portion, from Highway 15 west, including West Cloverdale, is now part of the new riding of Surrey-Serpentine River.
The provincial election will be held Oct. 19, 2024.