Know your options this holiday season
YOUR HEALTH CARE OPTIONS
Non-emergency medical assistance:
First call your family doctor, nurse practitioner or their on-call service to book an appointment. If not available, consider visiting a walk-in clinic or urgent care centre.
Health-related advice from a Registered Nurse 24/7:
Call Telehealth Ontario at 1-866-797-0000.
Ontario Virtual Care Clinic:
Ontario virtual care clinic is an option for simple health care concerns addressed virtually Ontario Virtual Care Clinic at seethedoctor.ca
Serious medical injuries and conditions:
Call 911 or go to an Emergency Department.
When to see your primary care provider (family doctor or nurse practitioner)
Your family doctor is your best option for your ongoing health care. In a non-emergency, contact your family doctor (or nurse
practitioner) to determine if you should be seen in person or virtually.
Stay connected with your primary care provider by signing up for e-mail communication, social media and watch the website for information.
Prepare ahead of time for urgent situations.
- Ask about after hours availability.
- Ask about options when the office is closed (weekends, holidays, vacation).
If you need help to find a family doctor, contact your Home and Community Care Support Services Waterloo Wellington at 519-748-2222.
St. Joseph’s Healthcare Hamilton Online Urgent Care
For individuals 18 years of age and older with an urgent, non-life threatening medical issue. See more information on the St. Joseph's website.
Children’s Hospital London Health Sciences Centre Virtual Emergency Clinic
If you’re concerned your child may require emergency care and you’re not sure about coming into the hospital, a virtual emergency clinic is available.
Call 519-685-8735 between 3:00 pm to 7:00 pm. Or, call toll-free 1-844-227-3844.
Patients can self-book an appointment at any time on the Urgent Care Ontario website.
When to go to the Emergency Department
If you need immediate help, call 9-1-1.
Emergency Departments provide treatment of severe illnesses and life-threatening injuries 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. If you need urgent medical attention for serious illness or injury, visit an Emergency Department. A doctor or nurse will assess your condition and decide on a course of treatment.
Go to the Emergency department if you’re experiencing a medical emergency. If your situation is not a medical emergency, you should choose a different health care option.
Important Tips for the Emergency Room
- At the emergency department, the most critical patients are seen first. Plan to wait, if necessary, to get the care you need.
- Take your heath card (if you have one), a complete list of medications, and a phone or contact list.
Walk-in and Urgent Care Clinics
Check with your family doctor or nurse practitioner to book an appointment before using after-hours walk in services. Many
family doctors have after-hours clinics.
If you cannot wait for an appointment with your doctor or you do not have one, walk-in and urgent care clinics can treat illnesses and injuries that do not require emergency care. Call to make sure clinic hours have not changed.
Be aware that patient registration may stop early depending on clinic capacity.
Mental health and crisis services
For mental health counseling, appointments and information about services, call Here 24/7 at 1-844-437-4246 or TTY: 877-688-5501. Available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
WW Healthline
For a list of services and resources in Waterloo, Wellington and throughout Ontario. Find out what’s open on holidays, including:
- Walk-in clinics
- Crisis intervention assistance
- Pharmacies
- Urgent care centres
Home and community care support services Waterloo-Wellington
Home and community services support people of all ages who require care in their home, at school or in the community. Call 1-888-883-3313 or go to the Health Care at Home website for information.