Wait times are an estimate of the time (in hours) from the time you are initially assessed by a nurse until you see a doctor.

The wait clock does not predict your entire length of stay. You may require additional care such as diagnostic imaging, testing, etc.

Treating: Patients who have had an initial assessment completed by a doctor.

Waiting: Patients who have not yet had an initial assessment by a doctor.

It’s important to know that critical patients will be seen first whether they arrive on their own or by ambulance.

The emergency department does not work on a first come, first served system.

When you arrive in the emergency department, you will be assessed using the Canadian Triage and Acuity Scale (CTAS). You will be seen by a doctor based on that assessment. The sickest patients will be seen first.

The computer system that supports our wait times information is powered by VitalHub®.

VitalHub’s web-based software takes historic and real-time data from our internal reporting systems and turns it into an understandable report, similar to the weather forecast. Just like the weather, it is important to understand that the data posted here represents the most current information about the chance or probability of waiting for a certain time. This automated system refreshes the data in real-time, ensuring the most accurate information available, and is what allows us to provide this information externally.

Due to rapidly changing demands in the emergency department and the need to see the sickest patients first, your own wait time may be more or less than the time displayed on this website.

The sickest patients will always be seen first.