About This Site
- Should I use the online wait times to determine where I should go?
In the case of a serious emergency always call 911 or go to your nearest emergency department. The online Emergency Wait Time tool is meant to give the public general information about emergency and urgent care wait times.
- How should I use the online wait time information?
Many factors can affect the pressures in emergency departments and those demands can change quickly and significantly. You will have to decide if the currently-posted ED wait time at the hospital nearest you appears to be significantly longer than the time it would take you to travel both to and from a hospital further away, plus the wait time at that site. Many factors likely go into your decision about which ED to use including: familiarity with the hospital, recent previous surgeries or admission to a given hospital, and closeness to your family should you need to be admitted.
- What if my condition isn’t an emergency and I don’t know where else to go?
There are several other options for seeking care that includes walk-in and urgent care clinics. They are appropriate for conditions that need same-day attention but are not life-threatening. The hours of operation vary between clinics. Most start between 8:00 AM and 9:00 AM and are open until between 5:00 PM and 9:00 PM. Most have weekend hours as well. It is important to check the hours of the specific clinic you might be interested in.
- How often are the online wait times updated?
Online wait times are refreshed every 5 minutes.
- Why are the wait times always changing?
Emergency demand can change quickly and dramatically. An incident such as a serious car accident can unexpectedly send more people to the Emergency Department and significantly impact wait time.
- Are there times of the day that are busier?
Yes. Most Emergency Departments get busy starting around 10:00 AM and stay busy until 10:00 PM. There are usually more physicians working at these busy times but waits tend to be longer during these busy times. Nevertheless, it can be busy outside of these times as a result of sick patients and the random variation in how people visit the ED.
- Are there days of the week that are busier?
Yes. Most Emergency Departments are about 10% busier on Mondays. This may be due to the inability for people to get in touch with their physicians over the weekend. However, it is important to note that any day can be very busy in the ED.
- How are the ED wait times calculated?
‘Wait Time’ is the time it takes for almost all patients – 9 out of every 10 who visit the ED – to be seen by a physician. This is also known as the 90th percentile and is the time in which 90% of all people seeking care will be seen. Unfortunately, for a variety of reasons, some people, about 10%, may have to wait longer than this time. ‘Estimated Length of Stay’ represents the length of time in the emergency department from the time you arrive to the time you are discharged home (excludes patients admitted to the hospital) for most patients – 75 out of every 100 who visit the ED. This value will vary depending on how long it takes for the emergency physician to see you and what kinds of tests and treatments you require in the ED.
- Disclaimer and Terms of Use
The emergency department wait times displayed on this website are being provided for general information only. Please be advised that the wait times can change significantly and immediately, without warning and therefore are not guaranteed. Patients will be seen in the emergency department based on their medical condition and the severity of their situation. Due to changing demands in emergency departments, these wait times may not be the time you will need to wait once you arrive at the emergency department. The provision of the wait times on this website are not medical advice or a recommendation of one emergency department over another. Vancouver Coastal Health (VCH), Providence Health Care (PHC), Fraser Health (FH) and Provincial Health Services Authority (PHSA) expressly disclaims all liability for the use of this information and for any claims, actions, demands or suits arising from such use. VCH, PHC, FH and PHSA does not assume and is not responsible for any liability whatsoever arising from any person’s use of this website or from any person’s decision to access any of the services referred to in the website. This website features resources that are external to the VCH, PHC, FH and PHSA organizations and thereby take no responsibility for the content presented in these websites outside of our website. We merely provide links to other external resources for informational purposes.
About the Emergency Departments
- What are Emergency Wait Times?
Emergency wait times can be many things: the length of wait to be triaged, the length of wait to see a nurse, the wait to see a doctor or nurse practitioner and the wait until discharge home or to an inpatient floor. For the purpose of the information posted on this website, wait time refers to the length of time between being assessed by a triage nurse and seeing a doctor or nurse practitioner.