A new Urgent and Primary Care Centre (UPCC) has officially opened in 91原创, offering evening and weekend medical care for issues that are not quite serious enough for a trip to the ER.

The new centre is temporarily in place at unit 101, 20651 56 Ave., and is open 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. on weekdays, and 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. on weekends and statutory holidays. The current site is also home to Fraser Health鈥檚 Home Health and Rapid Access Clinic offices.

It will be moving to a permanent location at 20434 64 Ave. in the future when construction at that site is complete, with expanded hours of operation, according to a statement from Fraser Health.

鈥淚鈥檓 thrilled that more people in 91原创 will receive the timely urgent and primary care they need in their own community,鈥� said 91原创 MLA Andrew Mercier.

鈥淲ith evening and weekend hours, this clinic will provide expanded access for people who are juggling busy schedules, while providing more options to receive the care they need,鈥� said 91原创 East MLA Megan Dykeman.

The government has been opening UPCCs around the province. They鈥檙e intended to be an alternative to clinics and hospital emergency rooms.

With most clinics 鈥� which are privately run by doctors 鈥� closed in the evenings or part of the week, anyone who needed to see a doctor urgently has had to go to the nearest hospital ER.

That has left ERs dealing with everything from major medial emergencies and serious injuries, to more minor but urgent medical complaints, like sprains, cuts, high fevers, and minor infections.

The UPCCs are intended to treat those urgent but not life-threatening types of cases.

The centre is available both to people who don鈥檛 have a family doctor or nurse practitioner, and also to those who do have one, but can鈥檛 get in to see them fast enough.

This is the 10th UPCC to officially launch in the Fraser Health region.