HHS ER Wait Times (Hamilton Health Sciences)

At 8:25 pm EDT, the shortest published ER wait was McMaster Children's Hospital at 1 hour 41 minutes. The median across 4 reporting ERs was 2 hours 50 minutes. Numbers change through the day, so check the list above before you go.

Hamilton Emergency Wait Times publishes "Average wait to see a doctor (last 6 hours)": The length of time between when you arrive to the front desk to check in and when you see a doctor. It is calculated by averaging the time that each patient has waited over the last six hours and is updated automatically every 15 minutes. Patients are triaged with the Canadian Triage and Acuity Scale and the sickest are seen first, so your own wait may be shorter or longer.

These measures can differ in their starting point and statistic. Compare estimates within the same measurement group. Patients with the most urgent needs are seen first.

Source: Hamilton Emergency Wait Times

Providers publish estimates on different schedules. Our checks are separate from those updates, and the displayed number may stay the same after a check. Each listing shows its available timestamp; check the source-specific frequencies below.

Yes: McMaster Children's Hospital. Children's emergency departments see children and teens; adults should go to an adult or all-ages ER. In a life-threatening emergency, call 911.

Yes. Every ER and urgent care centre listed on this page has a published wait estimate.

Hamilton's hospitals suggest an urgent care centre for cuts or wounds that may need stitches, sprains, strains or deep bruises, mild to moderate asthma attacks, ear, urinary tract and upper respiratory infections, coughs and congestion, diarrhea, sore throats, insect bites and rashes. Go to an emergency department for severe bleeding, trouble breathing, chest pain or pressure, broken bones, a partial or full amputation, a head injury, sudden dizziness or trouble seeing, or severe abdominal pain. If it is life-threatening, call 911.

Hamilton's emergency departments and urgent care centres don't work on a first-come, first-served basis. When you arrive, you are assessed with the Canadian Triage and Acuity Scale (CTAS), and the most critical patients are seen first, whether they come by ambulance or on their own. In simple terms, the sickest patients are seen most quickly.

Source: Hamilton Emergency Wait Times

Yes. You can ask for translation services at Hamilton's emergency departments and urgent care centres. The hospitals say Arabic is the language requested most often, and they also post their wait-time information in French and Arabic.

Source: Hamilton Emergency Wait Times

Health811 gives free advice from a registered nurse by phone (811, TTY 1-866-797-0007) or live chat, 24 hours a day. For a problem that isn't urgent, see your family doctor; if you don't have one, register with Health Care Connect to be matched with a family doctor or nurse practitioner. In an emergency or a mental health crisis, call 911.

Source: Hamilton Emergency Wait Times

Contact Hamilton Health Sciences' Patient Experience office, which can also give you wait-time information in another language. For care at St. Joseph's Healthcare Hamilton, contact its Patient Relations office instead.

Source: Hamilton Emergency Wait Times

No. ERWaitTimes.ca is an independent site, not affiliated with Hamilton Health Sciences. We regularly check the official estimates and link to the source. The update-frequency table above describes each feed.