Emergency Department

ATTENTION: June 10, 2023

GBGH’s Emergency department is experiencing extremely high patient volumes. Before coming to the Emergency department, we encourage you to assess the urgency of your condition and consider alternative options for care, including:

Your family physician
North Simcoe Family Health Team Nurse Practitioner Clinic: 705-526-7804 Ext. 0
Already a patient of the Family Health Team? Visit the After Hours Physician Clinic (Patients MUST call their family doctors office directly, to book a scheduled appointment in the After Hours Clinic.)
Rocket Doctor: https://rocketdoctor.ca/georgian-bay-general-hospital/
Telehealth Ontario at 1-866-797-0000 (phone) or 1-866-797-0007 (TTY).

Thank you for your patience and understanding during these challenging times.

Rocket Doctor

Georgian Bay General Hospital (GBGH) has partnered with Rocket Doctor to trial a service giving patients with an alternative option to the Emergency department (ED), while still providing access to appropriate health services. People visiting GBGH’s Emergency department (ED) or consulting the hospital’s website will be made aware of other alternatives, such as using Rocket Doctor’s virtual same-day appointment services to potentially prevent the need for an ED visit. GBGH’s Emergency department (ED) experiences overwhelming patient volumes during the summer months due to the area’s surge in seasonal residents and tourism.

Click here to access the GBGH page on Rocket Doctor.

About the Emergency Department

The Midland site’s Emergency Department provides 24-hour emergency service to the residents and visitors of North Simcoe. Emergency staff sees an average of 120 people a day, with volumes sometimes doubling during the summer months. Annual emergency visits last year were 39,700 (2021-22). The emergency department is supported by internal medicine, general surgery, ophthalmology, dentistry, obstetrics, and gynecology services. Patients requiring other specialties are referred to other health care facilities.

To reduce wait times and ensure you receive the appropriate care at the appropriate place, please consider the following alternatives for minor injuries and illness:

Your family physician
North Simcoe Family Health Team Nurse Practitioner Clinic: 705-526-7804 Ext. 0
Already a patient of the North Simcoe Family Health Team? Visit the After Hours Physician Clinic
- Patients MUST call their family doctors office directly, to book a scheduled appointment in the After Hours Clinic
- Rocket Doctor – https://rocketdoctor.ca/georgian-bay-general-hospital/
- Telehealth Ontario at 1-866-797-0000 (phone) or 1-866-797-0007 (TTY)

ED Wait Times Clock

To view the current wait times within our Emergency department, click here.

Please be advised that wait times can change significantly and immediately, without warning, and are therefore not guaranteed. Patients will be seen in the emergency department based on their medical condition and the severity of their situation.

CritiCall

Critical patients requiring transfer to a hospital offering another level of care are transferred using CritiCall, a provincial service which finds an accepting hospital and also makes the arrangements for transport.

Tips for Using the Emergency Department

If you go to the ED, go prepared:

If possible, come in the morning – waiting times can be shorter then.
Come prepared with your health card and at least one other piece of photo identification that includes your current address (make sure your health card has not expired).
Bring reading materials, knitting, or other hobbies to help pass the time.
Do not bring any more people with you than absolutely necessary. This will help lessen congestion in the waiting room.

Be a “patient” patient or family member:

Patients are seen based on the severity of their condition. You may have arrived first, but a patient in critical condition or an ambulance carrying car accident victims may arrive during the same time period and they will usually require our immediate attention.
Please remember that the ED staff and doctors are working very hard and often under stressful situations, but you will be cared for as soon as time allows.

Privacy

In order to respect the privacy of other patients you are asked to wait your turn in the waiting room rather than stand in the halls. Family members and/ or visitors are restricted to one at a time and may be asked to wait in the waiting room at certain times.

Drug Stores

The hospital does not have a pharmacy for dispensing drugs for Emergency patients. The staff can provide information on local pharmacies upon request.

Emergency Parking

There is an emergency drop off area only and then you will have to move your vehicle to the parking lot. The drop off area must be clear at all times. The hospital is not responsible if a violation ticket is issued. After dropping off a patient, your car should be moved to the hospital parking lot where you will be required to pay $3 per hour up to a maximum of $7 for a 24-hour period.

Bring your ticket with you as you must pay for parking inside the hospital.