Ontario Wait Times

This site provides detailed information on “total time spent in the ER.” This is the maximum time nine out of ten Ontarians spend in the ER and is measured from the time patients register or initially see a triage nurse (who assesses the level of urgency for treatment), until the time they leave the ER. The time patients leave the ER may be when they are sent home after being treated or when they are admitted to a hospital ward or inpatient bed, if medically necessary.

While you are spending time in the emergency room, doctors and nurses may be diagnosing or treating your condition, or ordering tests and waiting for results in order to determine the best treatment for you. Sometimes treatment for a condition requires admission to a bed in the hospital, which may result in you spending more time being cared for in the ER before a bed becomes available.

You can also find information about alternate options to an ER visit (i.e. Urgent Care Centres, walk-in clinics, etc…) that are available in your area at www.ontario.ca/healthcareoptions

Here are some things to consider when you believe you need to seek emergency care.