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After Hours Access to Care

If you have a life-threatening medical emergency, go to a hospital emergency room or call 9-1-1 immediately.

A hospital is only one place to get emergency care. Sometimes people go there because they don’t know where else to go. To help you understand all your choices, you’ll find information here on:

  • Where to get help for urgent but non-life threatening problems
  • Where to get help for life threatening problems.

Urgent help for non-life threatening problems

Who can help me if I'm sick or injured and not sure what to do?

Patients who are registered to a ByWard Family Health Team (BWFHT) primary care provider (PCP) are urged to use our online booking system or call the clinic at 613-564-3950 during our hours of operation to book with their PCP or the nurse practitioner on their team.

When the clinic is closed, registered patients may call the Telephone Health Advisory Service (THAS) which is a free, confidential telephone service, to speak to a registered nurse.
Hours of Operation:
Mondays through Fridays from 6:00 pm to 9:00 am
Weekends from noon to 9:00 am
24 hours a day on recognized holidays
When you call the Telephone Health Advisory Service you will be:
  • Connected to a nurse who will verify that you are enrolled with the ByWard Family Health Team
  • Asked a series of questions to assess your health concerns
  • Provided with health care advice so that you can manage your care at home and/or be advised to see your doctor or nurse practitioner within a few days.
  • Depending on your symptoms, the nurse may advise you to go to the nearest emergency department.
With your consent, the nurse will send information to your health care provider about your call to the Telephone Health Advisory Service.

Non registered Ontario patients are to contact Telehealth Ontario at 1-866-797-0000. This is a free, confidential phone service that you can call anytime day or night. You will get health advice or general health information from a Registered Nurse.

Non registered Quebec patients are to contact Info-Santé 8-1-1 which is a free and confidential telephone consultation service that puts you in contact with a nurse in case of a non-urgent health issue.

What do I do if I need to see a doctor right away, but my problem is not life-threatening?

Patients who are registered to a ByWard Family Health Team (BWFHT) primary care provider (PCP) are urged to use our online booking system or call the clinic at 613-564-3950 during our hours of operation to book with their PCP or the nurse practitioner on their team. Your primary care provider (PCP) and the nurse practitioner (NP) on their team have reserved appointments for acute illnesses appropriate for same day booking. If a same day appointment is not available with your PCP or the NP, you will be offered an appointment with a provider at our after-hours clinic (subject to availability).

After-hours clinic hours:
Mon to Fri: 5pm to 8pm
Sat & Sun: 9am to noon
Closed on Statutory Holidays

By appointment only (no walk-ins)

When the clinic is closed, registered patients may call the Telephone Health Advisory Service (THAS) which is a free, confidential telephone service, to speak to a registered nurse.
Hours of Operation:
Mondays through Fridays from 6:00 pm to 9:00 am
Weekends from noon to 9:00 am
24 hours a day on recognized holidays
When you call the Telephone Health Advisory Service you will be:
  • Connected to a nurse who will verify that you are enrolled with the ByWard Family Health Team
  • Asked a series of questions to assess your health concerns
  • Provided with health care advice so that you can manage your care at home and/or be advised to see your doctor or nurse practitioner within a few days.
  • Depending on your symptoms, the nurse may advise you to go to the nearest emergency department.
With your consent, the nurse will send information to your health care provider about your call to the Telephone Health Advisory Service.

Non registered Ontario patients are to contact Telehealth Ontario at 1-866-797-0000. This is a free, confidential phone service that you can call anytime day or night. You will get health advice or general health information from a Registered Nurse.

Non registered Quebec patients are to contact Info-Santé 8-1-1 which is a free and confidential telephone consultation service that puts you in contact with a nurse in case of a non-urgent health issue.

Where do I go if I have an urgent medical problem that my primary care provider cannot treat?

Go to your nearest Urgent Care Centre. You can get help during the day, in the evening and on weekends. These centres can help with problems like eye injuries, wounds, broken limbs, X-rays and laboratory tests. You don’t need an appointment – just go if you need help. Find health care options near you.

Where to get help for life threatening problems?

When should I go to a hospital emergency room?

An emergency room is also called an ER. An ER provides urgent medical and surgical care to patients at a hospital. You would only go to an ER for potentially life-threatening illness and injury. Find an Emergency Room near you

How do I call an ambulance?

To call an ambulance, dial 911 from any phone. The 911 operator can get an interpreter for you if you need one. They will ask you about your health problem and send an ambulance if you need one. Your call is free from any phone.

Ontario Residents: If you need to take an ambulance to a hospital, the Ontario Health Insurance Plan (OHIP) will pay for most of the cost. You will have to pay a small fee ($45).

Quebec Residents: The Government of Quebec is responsible for a major part of financing the pre-hospital emergency system. Fees charged to the end-user only cover a portion of the actual cost of their ambulance transport which is set at $125 for the pickup, plus $1.75 per kilometre travelled to the hospital.

Note: If the doctor who sees you at the hospital thinks that your ambulance was not medically necessary, you must pay $240.

Do I need a health card to use an emergency room (ER)?

In an emergency, hospitals will treat you without seeing your card first. But you will have to show your card later if you want the provincial plan to pay your hospital bills.

What happens when I visit an emergency room (ER)?

This is what will likely happen after you arrive:

1. First, you need to sign in at the front desk of the ER. This lets staff know that you are there and what your problem is. If your medical problem needs immediate action, a nurse or doctor may see you right away.

2. Next, you will see an ER nurse. This nurse makes sure that the sickest people get to see the doctors first.

3. If you have to wait, you will likely be asked to sit down in the waiting area.

4. Staff will call your name once an exam room is ready. The exam room will likely have a bed and a chair in it. It may also have some medical equipment. You may have to wait here awhile to see the doctor.

5. When the doctor arrives, he or she will talk to you about your medical problem and check you over. At this point, the doctor will decide what should happen next. For instance, you may need an X-ray or a test. You may have to wait for your results.

Once the doctor knows more about your problem, you may be treated and sent home. Or, if your case is more serious, you will stay at the hospital for further tests or treatment.

If I go to an emergency room (ER), how long will I have to wait?

Many things may affect how much time you will spend in an ER:

  • How serious your condition is
  • The time and day you go to the ER
  • The size and location of the hospital you visit
  • How busy the ER is due to things like major accidents or a flu outbreak
  • If you need to stay in the hospital for surgery or other treatment
  • See wait time statistics
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