Emergency Department
- Photo: A patient uses a virtual care alternative to the Emergency department.
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
If you or a family member feels unwell, contact your family doctor or nurse practitioner. If they’re unavailable or you don’t have one, try the options below. -
Pharmacy Services
Pharmacists can help with many health concerns and can now prescribe for ailments like infections and skin conditions such as pink eye, cold sores, yeast infections, UTIs, dermatitis, diaper rash, etc. Insect bites including tick bites (post-exposure), allergies and respiratory issues including hay fever. Digestive and stomach issues such as acid reflux, nausea during pregnancy, parasitic worms etc. Pharmacists can also renew prescriptions for most medications, such as blood pressure, diabetes and asthma medications. - Virtual Urgent Care Clinic
Book a same-day or next-day virtual appointment with a Nurse Practitioner at regional-virtual-urgent-care.ca - Health811
Health811 is a free, secure, and confidential service Ontarians can access 24 hours a day, seven days a week to receive health advice from a Registered Nurse by calling
811 (TTY: 1-866-797-0007) chatting online or navigating to Ontario.ca/health811 - Mental Health Crisis Services
For immediate mental health support, call CMHA Simcoe County at 1-888-893-8333.
For confidential support with thoughts of suicide or emotional distress, call the
Suicide Crisis Line at 988 (available 24/7)
or
For outpatient crisis appointments, and self-referred non-urgent crisis appointments visit
https://search.caredove.com/service/32453/request - North Simcoe Family Health Team Nurse Practitioners
For non-urgent illnesses including symptoms that do not fit the list of minor ailments that can be addressed by a local pharmacist
or
Minor illnesses and cold and flu symptoms such as fevers (in infants older than 6 months), cough, shortness of breath, sore throat, or sinus congestion.
Call 705-526-7804 ext. 0 - Pediatric Rapid Access Care Clinic
For children aged 6 months to 18 years with non-life-threatening conditions. Book online at care-clinics.ca
- Wendat Outpatient Crisis AppointmentsWendat has launched a new online booking tool through 1door for non‑urgent, outpatient crisis appointments. Community members can now self‑refer and book directly. This is an important addition to local mental health supports and offers an alternative option to coming to the Emergency Department. To book an appointment click here.
- Feelings Pathways
Scan the QR code for a guide to Mental Health Resources in Simcoe County and Muskoka.
- HIV and STI Testing
Looking for a private and convenient way to get tested for HIV or other sexually transmitted infections (STIs)? The Simcoe Muskoka District Health Unit has partnered with GetaKit to offer free, discreet, at‑home self‑testing.
Through GetaKit, residents can request HIV self‑tests as well as testing for chlamydia, gonorrhea, syphilis, and hepatitis C. Test kits are delivered in plain packaging, and lab requisition forms are provided online or by mail through a licensed physician to ensure confidentiality. The platform also offers personalized guidance, helpful resources, and recommendations for preventive care.
Results are available online within 3–7 business days. Anyone with a positive result will be contacted by the Health Unit and offered free treatment and follow‑up care.GetaKit is available to residents 17+ (HIV self‑testing 18+).
To order a kit, visit www.getakit.ca.
For more information on GetaKit or other sexual health services, visit smdhu.org/theclinic or call the Sexual Health Program at 1‑888‑721‑7520 ext. 8376.
- Rocket Doctor
GBGH recommends Rocket Doctor for those without a family doctor. If you have a family doctor, please book an appointment with them instead, or access one of the above services. Georgian Bay General Hospital (GBGH) has partnered with Rocket Doctor to trial a service that gives patients 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.
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.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.
Bring your ticket with you as you must pay for parking inside the hospital.
When should I visit the Emergency Department
The emergency department is the right place to receive care if you’re having a medical emergency.
Medical emergencies may include:
A change in mental status (confusion)
Mental health crisis
Seizures or convulsions
Broken bone or wound
Chest pain or tightness
Baby under 3 months with fever
Severe vomiting or diarrhea
Stiff neck & sensitivity to light
Severe headache & dizziness
Difficulty breathing